Koware ta Tsubasa
by turtlechow
Summary: She was just a girl until the day she died. Now, Soul Society must help her fly on broken wings. ByakuyaXOC couldn't help myself, really. Set sometime during the Arrancar Arc. Rating is no longer subject to change... unless I get indecisive.
1. Chapter 1: What Remains

A/N: I don't know why I'm doing this. After several failed attempts at fan fiction and deciding to devote my life to more serious writing, I swore on a stack of Webster's Dictionaries that I would NEVER EVER write fan fiction again. But Bleach has quickly (and for some strange reason) become one of my favorite animes, and Byakuya is one of my favorite characters... and serious writing is tons less fun than it sounds, so I figured I would let myself go and have some fun. Besides, it gives me a chance to hone my craft a little more and implement a little Japanese along the way. In other words, this fan fiction is for my senseless amusement only... but reviews boost my ego and make me a better writer, so by all means, don't hesitate to leave one... All right; without further ado, here goes nothing...

Oh, and I don't own Bleach... if I did, I wouldn't be wasting my time writing fanfics. XD

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_Chapter 1: What Remains_

It was like a living nightmare. A strong thunder rolled overhead as rain poured down onto a swarm of umbrellas. A trickle of blood tainted the water as it scurried across the road and into the nearest grate. Everyone was talking, trying to peer past the barrier of yellow tape the police erected. On the other side lingered the authorities: a young man shaking his head and taking notes as he spoke to the quivering driver of the silver car. Two others examined the bloody dent in the front bumper and the crimson smear across the cracked windshield. Further back, standing near the point of impact, were two paramedics. Even though they were used to seeing such gruesome things, they grimaced as they glanced from the blood-stained pavement to the cart whose occupant lay motionless beneath a white sheet. A slender left hand hung over its side, entwined by a web of red rivulets.

She could still hear the last murmurs of the deceased as the blood dripped onto the pavement above the wailing sirens, the piteous murmurs of the crowd, and the snarl of thunder overhead. Sitting beneath a nearby awning with her arms wrapped around her legs, she studied the scene with placid eyes. Her eyes were just visible over her knees, separated from the scene only by a pair of thin-rimmed glasses. The flashing light of the police cars bounced off of them as they pivoted about, shooting their accusing gazes over the crowd and towards her. Other than the occasional jolt at the unexpected boom of thunder or the doleful sigh at her own memories of the incident, she, too, remained motionless.

The police didn't bother asking her questions, even if she was a key witness. They would have bombarded her had they been able to see her. She wished she could tell them, tell them it wasn't the driver's fault, that the girl laying under that sheet had simply been frozen by an intense terror for a moment by the sound of a name, that she hadn't intended for the results… but all of that was nothing more than a worthless afterthought.

"We have identified the victim, sir," said one of the cops who had been studying the car earlier, "by the name on her student ID. It was…" A loud clap of thunder rang out, causing the unseen observer to push her hands over her ears and shudder. Burying her face in them, she momentarily drowned everything out, praying to be jolted back to consciousness when she rolled out of bed. When she opened her eyes again, she saw the same thing she had when she closed them with the same distant eyes, and she heard the same regrettable murmurs.

"She was too young to die…"

"…only fifteen…"

"…Unbelievable carelessness on the part of the driver…"

"I didn't mean for this to happen. Gods, I swear I didn't…" The driver fell into a heap his hands over his eyes, the wispy remnants of blood in the rainwater clinging to the pants of his expensive suit. "I have a daughter at home… what will she say when she finds out her father is a murderer?" He was sobbing into the shield of his hands, trembling as the unseen weight of guilt on his back pressed him further down. "I'm sorry… so sorry… I never meant for this to happen…" Despite what he had done, the investigators must have found some sincerity in his pleas. They reassured him to the best of their ability. A trace of gratitude shone in her eyes as she watched him rise and stagger towards the police car. He disappeared behind its windows a moment later, his grief lingering persistently on his knees and in his eyes.

After they took him and his tainted car away, the body was loaded into the ambulance, which disappeared slowly into the distance since there was no reason to rush. Once it was gone, the crowd slowly dispersed, returning to their everyday routines. Already, they were beginning to put the trauma of seeing a guiltless young woman who had her whole life ahead of her flung into the pavement with such force. Fury flashed across the dark clouds above head, and she braced herself for another jolt of thunder. This one was so loud, she actually cried out. She settled back into her state of mind once it settled, watching with tearless eyes as the sky wept for her. For a long time, she merely sat and watched the rain wash away the final traces of there ever being a body. Several shards of glass stood sentry, obstinate reminders that would not so easily be deterred.

She wasn't sure how long she watched the rain until she felt it, a subtle trace of reiatsu drifting through the air. Powerful yet controlled, it would have drawn her gaze had it not been for the lightening that ignited the glinting reminders. They winked enticingly just before the huge boom, quieter than the last but still loud enough to make her flinch. She heard footsteps drawing closer, but she ignored them. A searing white dagger raced across the sky, throwing the elongated shadow of her approacher across the drenched sidewalk. This time, the crash drew no flinch out of her; only a heavy sigh.

The steps stopped as he stood rigidly next to her, an umbrella perched on his shoulder as he surveyed the scene before him. He threw his gaze onto the girl sitting next to him, but she made no sign of acknowledging his presence. A glimmer of distaste danced across the unfeeling gray pools as lightening flickered again. It brought to his attention the wooden sword sitting at her side. Drawn by the glisten of the solitary piece of silver chain link hanging from the hint, a brisk wind lifted the ends of a thin white cloth wound around its handle. It had no guard and all in all seemed a relatively pointless weapon to carry. Turning his gaze back to the empty road, he uttered his first words in a flat yet incredulous tone.

"A wooden sword?" Her eyes wandered up to him before falling again. "You are a shinigami, right? Where is your zanpakutoh?" Wordlessly, she gestured to the wooden stick beside her. "Surely, you must be joking," he retorted in the same flat tone. Normally, she would have taken insult to the blatant underestimation of her abilities, but recent events kept her from uttering a single word of defense. She studied him for a moment from the corner of her eye, dodging his cold gaze whenever she could until at last she felt ready to hold it.

"Why are you here?"

"I've come to retrieve you," he responded, his tone full of the insult her ingratitude caused. She blinked as a trace of confusion permeated her otherwise emotionally devoid gaze. Slowly, she turned her head to look at him.

"I'm not sure I understand. You are a captain, right? Why would a captain come all the way here just to 'retrieve me'?" The venomous look he gave her clearly said he didn't feel like explaining things at the moment, but some unknown factor must have changed his mind.

"Genryuusai-dono's orders were unclear at first. He only told me there was something in the human world he wanted me to retrieve for him. I believe he mistakenly thought you were a special case, but judging from that wooden sword, I fear his reasoning is severely flawed. However…" A hint of fascination drifted across his gaze as he spoke. "I received no orders to measure your capabilities as a shinigami. I was merely ordered to retrieve you." When she shifted her weight, his hand shot toward his sword, almost as if he expected her to resist. Silently, she lifted the forlorn sword she claimed to be her zanpakutoh and wrapped both hands around its middle. He noticed its subtle curve and narrow length, but particularly its lack of a guard. The way she held it was almost delicate, as if it was a precious family heirloom or a faithful companion whose loyalty went without measure.

"Souka..." She examined the glass again briefly. The rain was finally starting to let up, and if the moon had anything to say about it, the clouds would be dispersed before she rose. "Then by all means lead the way, Taichou-san." He began walking forward once he was certain she would follow. She felt the anger in his gaze even when his back was to her. "Did I… say something to offend you?"

"You dishonor me with your familiar title."

"Gomenassai, but I don't know what else to call you."

"Captain of the sixth division, Kuchiki Byakuya." A fluttering streak of black caught her attention for a moment, its delicate wings waving as it sped past the slowly pacing captain. Her hands tightened around the sword as he peered at her from over his shoulder. "You should listen to your superiors when they speak."

"I heard you," she returned passively. "I was just trying to remember what my father said about the Kuchiki clan other than they were one of the Four Noble Families of Seireitei. Oh, that's right…" Her voice trailed off, and a timid look of resistance flitted across her gaze. Normally, he wouldn't have pressed the subject further, but he found the girl's reaction rather suspicious.

"What did he say?"

"Empty." The one word answer made him stop walking, and beneath that piercing gaze, she could only drop her gaze to the ground. "He told me… the Kuchiki clan was empty… because they lacked the emotional bonds all families share. At least… that's the impression he got." Her knuckles turned white as her grip on the wooden sword tightened. "Gomenassai… I've offended you again…" Whether it was the cold or the memory that made her shutter, he knew not. The rain was finally letting up, but it showed no sign of stopping.

"Who was your father?" After a moment of stubborn silence, he turned to face her. The eyes were still on the ground, the two unrestrained pieces of nutmeg-colored hair dropping what water they could not hold onto the pavement. When he took another step, she uttered another brief response to stop his approach.

"No one important." Her hands shifted nervously as she glanced up at him. "If it helps, I prefer to judge such things by myself, and if I'm right, you aren't all that cold at all. You're just distant." She couldn't tell whether her words offended him or not. All she could do was search for some sign in those emotionless gray eyes.

"What do you mean… distant?" It was clear in his tone; she had offended him. The road to undoing the damage would undoubtedly be a difficult one, but she smoothed it to the best of her ability with her explanation.

"I mean you try to keep yourself away from things that are precious to you. True, it hurts to push the things and people you hold dear away, but it would hurt so much worse to lose them forever." There was a brief change in his eyes. He gave her an incredulous look full of absolute disbelief. She was so worried she had only made things worse that she immediately dropped her own to the ground. "I must not be doing a very adequate job of explaining, but… I can assure you I had no intention of offending you."

When the rain stopped falling on her, she glanced up again to see Byakuya standing before her, holding the umbrella over their heads. The wordless understanding reassured her almost to the point of smiling, but the chain of present memories restrained it firmly. She bowed her head in thanks before they started forward again, this time side by side. "Can I call you Byakuya-sama?" she asked suddenly. A simple nod was all she received; oddly, the gesture did even more to ease the tension. A smile ghosted briefly across her lips, and the silvery eyes behind the glasses leapt to life. Byakuya examined her with a side glance, stopping so quickly it caught her off guard. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"You're eyes… what color are they?" Bewildered by the question, she turned to face him, her smile returning to cover her sorrow.

"Nani? You can't tell?"

"That triumph makes you seem impudent…"

"Don't take offense, Byakuya-sama. There aren't a lot of people who can tell what color they are from a distance. It takes careful scrutiny." She adjusted her glasses with one hand before wrapping it back around her sword. He raised a brow at her confidence and leaned forward in a futile attempt to prove her wrong. She vanished from sight for a brief moment before reappearing a short distance away, a little breathless and a little shaken. "You startled me… that's all," she said, putting a hand over her racing heart and rejoining him at a slower pace. "Don't get so close." Byakuya made no indication of apology as they walked on. "I would tell you if you asked me."

"Iie…" he responded. "I'll find out on my own."

"How do you intend to if I won't let you get close enough to, hmm?"

"I don't believe that is any of your concern."

"Fine, then… I'll drop it." She soon returned to her previous state, her face drawn into a sullen, troubled frown, her eyes burning with a pitiful half-life. Her shoulders slumped under the weight of what she had witnessed, and her head bent slightly as she cast her eyes to their moist path.

"Do you know your name?" She nodded gently in reply, waiting as the anticipation built in the atmosphere behind a shield of silence. "Well, what is it?" Byakuya demanded.

"Tokazawa Miharu, but everyone I'm acquainted with calls me Haru… except for one persistent young man." Sighing heavily, she looked to the captain walking beside her. "I swear, even if we've known each other since we were kids, he insists on calling me Tokazawa-san. I just don't get it."

"You speak of childhood as if it has long since passed."

"It hasn't, really. It just seems like it under the circumstances." Sad reflections raced through the ambiguously-colored eyes, growing with each step they took. "Byakuya-sama, how long do you plan on walking?"

"For as long as I please. I'm in no hurry." Haru looked questioningly at him, trying to find his reasoning without directly asking him. "Besides," he added a moment later, "rain is a rare phenomenon in Soul Society." She nodded her head in understanding, turning her eyes back to the road they were walking.

"I'm going to miss it."

"Nani?"

"The smell of a passing storm." Her eyes disappeared for a moment as a distant rumble of thunder passed them by, and she breathed deeply, memorizing the fresh smell of fallen rain. "I always admired the incredible power storms seemed to harbor, but at the same time, part of me was scared of them."

"It is impossible to admire something you fear," Byakuya said flatly. He glanced to Haru as she turned it over in her mind.

"Maybe." Another smile broke through her apathetic expression. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you intend to do with me once I am in Soul Society?" When he didn't answer, Haru felt a nervous shiver pass through her. His silence was almost frightening, like standing at the very edge of a cliff and peering down at the ground below. She stopped walking, casting her trepidation-filled gaze downward, causing him to stop just one step after her.

"If you pose no threat, then you shall eventually be placed into one of the thirteen divisions."

"Who judges that?"

"For the moment, I do." Her hands tightened around her sword again, her shoulders trembling slightly. "Until then, you shall be staying with me in the main house…"

"Byakuya-sama, I can't… I mean, I don't…" she interjected, biting back the remainder of her argument beneath the absoluteness flashing across his gray eyes. Haru peered at him for a moment before bowing her head. "Arigato-gonzaimasu. I will try not to cause you too much trouble for you." The thanks was enough to satisfy him… fortunately. She tried to hold back the shudders that passed through her shoulders, but the post-storm frigidity only amplified them. A breeze rushed past them, drawing another violent shudder from her.

"You must be cold." Sheepishly, she nodded.

"But don't let it stop you from enjoying yourself. I'll be fine." The slight change in his expression clearly uttered each and every doubt he had about her strength and abilities. As she silently prepared to endure another half an hour or so of frigidness, a shift in lighting drew her eyes forward. Before her appeared a pair of doors that opened to unveil a blinding white light. A single hell butterfly drifted out to meet its companion, and they danced together in the air before fluttering towards the light. "Byakuya-sama, this isn't necessary."

"It's enough I am required to endure your company. You would only be more burdensome if you were to become ill."

"Come on, I'm not that bad, am I?" she asked, pinning him with a half-smile and an amused gaze. Byakuya studied the eyes with fascination for a moment before turning his gaze in the direction he determined to walk in.

"I haven't decided yet."

"Souka." Haru shifted her eyes away from his own to the gray sky above head. The sun must have been setting; though the storm had long since drifted out of ear shot and out of existence, the clouds were beginning to grow dark. "There were so many things I wanted to do here, Byakuya-sama, so many things…" Tears unshed brought a subtle quake into Haru's voice as she spoke. "And now what… just what am I going to do in Soul Society, where I'm eons behind everyone else in skill level, power, and speed? How can I compete with shinigami that have been training before my grandparents were born? It's all so sudden, so overwhelming…"

"Haru," Byakuya interjected, drawing her apprehensive gaze. "Let's go."

"Hai." Without a single look behind her, Haru followed briskly behind the captain. She hesitated only momentarily before entering the pale shimmer lying beyond the doors. As soon as she was engulfed by what lay within, the two pairs of doors shut behind her one after the other, and the gateway to Soul Society vanished, leaving behind no trace of ever having been there.

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Holy hell... I've never written anything that dark in my whole life. Congrats on making it to the end; the next chapter will be up asap. Oh, and for those of you who don't know Japanese: 

Souka : I see

Gomenassai : The Uber-Highly Polite Form of I'm Sorry (spelling is now corrected. Yayz!)

Iie : No

Nan i: What

Arigato-gonzaimasu : The Uber-Highly Polite Form of Thank You

Hai : Yes

And finally... the title (Koware na Tsubasa) translates to Broken Wings... at least according to Babelfish. Don't yell at me if it's wrong!


	2. Chapter 2: Moonlight

A/N: I'm back... with a vengeance! (Fear not; I kid). My ego was boosted by the single person who favorited this fanfic... and for some reason, I got this chapter done in about 24 hours. It's 1 am, and I'm tired. The intro is short, and as usual, translations follow the text. Thanks in advance for reading!

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_Chapter 2: Moonlight  
_

The blanket of night was beginning to descend on Seireitei as the sun drifted lazily out of sight. Unlike the streets Haru had just come from, these were dry, but the wind was still chilly. She shivered every time it swept through the road, virtually emptied by the hour of dinner. If she had more energy, Haru would have been swiveling her head and trying to take everything in, but since stepping through the doors, she felt unusually drained. In spite of her vast curiosity, Haru refrained from asking Byakuya anything, having no desire to irritate him more than she already may have.

Haru suddenly collided with something warm and motionless, causing it to sway slightly. She was too exhausted to react until her hand closed around the soft fabric of a high-quality scarf. After realizing just what it was, she leapt back and bowed her head. "Sumimasen!" she cried. "I wasn't… paying attention."

"You would do well to be more attentive," Byakuya chided in the same flat tone.

"H… hai…" she sighed, straightening her shoulders and hoping the apology in her gaze would help smooth things over. It did nothing to alter his stoic expression.

"We have reached our destination." Haru glanced to her left to examine the structure before her, a vast labyrinth of buildings surrounded by a wall. She glanced incredulously back to Byakuya before looking at it again.

"I feel lost already." But already, he was crossing his threshold. Not wanting to be left behind to make her own way, Haru scurried after him, pulling the entrance closed behind her with some difficulty before she resumed her former pace. "Do you really expect me to live here?" When he made no reply, she continued. "Then expect me to get lost… often."

"I will assign you a servant to help you navigate until you are sufficient at doing so yourself. Are there any other issues you have with staying here?" The way he said it cautioned her not to present further complaint. Feeling the severe sting of his misinterpretation, Haru dropped her head and shook it.

"Gomenasai… I didn't mean to offend you. It's just… I've never even seen a house this big that I can remember." They paused at the door to remove their wooden sandals. Haru wrung the extra water out of her sleeves and the bottom of her hakama, and after squeezing the two tendrils of hair framing her face, she wrapped her hands around her sword and entered the hall, again closing the door behind her.

"Welcome back, Kuchiki-sama!" The shout was enough to draw a startled cry from her lips. Seeing it was only the servants, she sunk against a wall as relief overwhelmed her, clutching her heart and quivering slightly.

"We have drawn you a bath, sir. Dinner should be done in about forty minutes." He gave a wordless nod of approval before beginning down the hallway in the supposed direction of the bath. Forlorn, Haru sank against the wall and drew her knees up, leaning her sword against it.

"I almost forgot…" he said, turning around with a strange glimmer in his eyes. "This is Tokazawa Miharu. She will be staying here for some time. Please see to it that she is comfortable."

"Would you like us to put her in one of the guest houses, Kuchiki-sama?"

"Iie… the guest room down the hall should be fine." The two servants peered incredulously at each other for a moment. "I would like you to draw her a bath and find her some dry clothes. Then escort her to the dining room. I will take the liberty of showing Haru her quarters later."

"As you wish, Kuchiki-sama!" They both bowed their heads in understanding before throwing another questionable look at Haru. Byakuya disappeared, leaving her puzzled yet smiling… until she saw the way they were looking at her.

"Nandesuka?" she inquired. "Is something… wrong?" They spoke to each other behind their hands momentarily, eyeing the still damp girl as she attempted to pick out what they were saying. Eventually, they came to a consensus, and the shorter of the two offered to lead her two the guest bath. Nodding her thanks, Haru followed him, clutching her sword and trying to appear as alert as possible. "Ano… may I ask… what you were talking about?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, Tokazawa-san." She could only nod and drop her gaze to the wooden floor beneath her feet.

"Forgive me if I seem a bit awkward. I'm not used to this. I'm in a strange house in a strange place with an even stranger man. I can't even tell if my presence irritates him or not."

"We weren't judging you, if that's what you think," the servant replied. "We were merely saying that Kuchiki-sama must be fond of you. Otherwise, he wouldn't keep you in the main house."

"It was an order, if I'm interpreting his words correctly."

"Perhaps, but you don't know what is meant by 'the room down the hall.' If he's putting you there, then he has to at least be doing more than tolerating you."

"What exactly… do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll find out soon enough." The servant pushed a door open, apparently their destination. Briefly, he disappeared to turn on the faucet from which poured the bath water; once he returned, he pointed out the location of the articles she would need. The second servant returned at some point with a spare sleeping kimono, which he delivered straight to Haru. "We shall return to collect your clothes later and have them washed by morning."

"Hai…" she responded as one of them returned from shutting off the bath water. "But… how will I find my way to the dining room?"

"I'm certain you'll be more than capable of finding your way. Dinner is in thirty minutes; please try to be finished by then, Tokazawa-san." The door closed, leaving her alone with the wispy fingers of steam. After making sure they were gone, Haru rid herself of the wet garments plastered against her skin, piling them neatly in the corner. Then, she began the meticulous task of scrubbing the day's grueling events away.

_I shouldn't feel comfortable here,_ she thought, letting her hair down but keeping the restraint close at hand. She dumped a bucket of hot water over her head before lathering some shampoo into it. _Everything seems so… so surreal. Did that really happen? Did I really let him lead me to his home? Am I really sitting on this stool and washing my hair while, somewhere in the vast recesses of the Kuchiki estate, he's doing the same thing? _Discontentedly, she rinsed her hair with another bucket of scalding water, so hot it stung her skin. The sensation was painful but strangely pleasant. It was undoubtedly real.

Haru stepped into the bath with ease, flinching at its incredibly high yet relaxing temperature. The intense bite of hot water quickly drove away the aching numbness of fatigue. _I wonder if he's as tired as I am. Probably not; he hasn't been through half the misery I have today in his entire lifetime. A noble... he must live a sheltered life._ Haru struggled not to drown in her own misery. She tried not to think about it, to put it far from her conscious mind. The wispy fingers of steam made vain attempts to rub all thoughts out of existence, but she could only transfer her thoughts from one subject to the other. A droplet of water fell from the ends of her hair into the piping hot tub she currently occupied. All the steam in the world couldn't keep Haru from recalling the wind and the rain, and she gave a violent shudder beneath the unbearable weight of the day's events. Another drip drew a gasp from her lips; with her composure beginning to seep away, Haru shifted her focus to the foggy hands dancing about the immense bathroom.

_This tub has to be big enough for four people. _At last, the steamy fingers were working the tension out of her mind. They brushed against her temples and her shoulders so lightly that, once her silvery eyes fell shut, she nearly forgot their existence entirely. _And this house… is amazing. Am I dreaming?_ Haru opened her eyes to gaze at her hands. _It feels odd…_ she thought as she closed her eyes again. _Odd, but so… so good._ Haru's breath disturbed the mist, sending offended vapors fleeing from her sigh. _Baka… he strikes me as an intelligent, capable man, yet he continually misinterprets me. Then again, he doesn't know me that well. I suppose I can't expect anymore of him._

Haru would have gladly spent days in that tub with no company save the steam and her own musings, but the thought of the time constraint pressed through her hazy musings with a suddenness that caused her to flinch. She mourned the loss of the fluid embrace and the buoyant feeling it gave her as she tugged the plug free with her foot and left the soothing basin behind. The thought of time weighed heavily upon her as she guided the towel across her skin, removing the more stubborn remnants of her brief soak. _How long will I even be here?_ A mist of heavy thoughts clouded her silvery gaze. Haru could already foresee the ease with which she would grow accustomed to the way things ere in that house. _He said it was until I was officially assigned to a squad, but he never specified how long it would take. Damn it…_ Haru's focus shifted away from her thoughts to the towel she guided along the length of her hair. She immediately captured every strand of her condescendingly obedient tresses and forced them into a black fabric pouch that ended just between her shoulder blades, effectively concealing its true length. Practiced hands pulled the gold ribbon taunt and tied it into a bow. Its ends fell to the middle of her back; as they ghosted over her bare skin, Haru couldn't help but shudder. She paused briefly to collect herself, then reached for the sleeping kimono and wrapped her now clean body in the dry garment. The ends of the ribbon, once freed from beneath the kimono, were positioned over her shoulders, fluttering slightly as she turned away from the sanctuary. In part, Haru was beckoned by punctuality, but mostly, it was the painful void in her stomach that drove her from the serene solitude.

After rubbing the lenses of her glasses with her kimono sleeve, Haru placed them on and adjusted them before seizing her zanpakutoh and peering into the hallway. She shut the door gently behind her and wrapped her hands around the wooden sword's middle, carrying it just as she had done before. The absence of any servants promised to make navigating her way to the dining room a difficult task. Haru's only ally in doing so was the faint sensation of a restrained yet familiar reiatsu. _It was hard to sense in the human world; I guess it's stronger here._ Each step forward augmented Haru's awareness of her solitude. _Is it even him I'm feeling? It has to be… it's distinct, dignified, and quite restrained, almost as if he's trying to hide it._

All the comments regarding her zanpakutoh suddenly flooded her mind. She glanced at the sword in her hand, running her eyes briefly over it before returning her focus to the reiatsu. A passionate vehemence entered her veins and quickly spread. _That asshole… has he been underestimating me this whole time?_ Haru bowed her head under the weight of her self-imposed answer, masking the fury with a determined smile. _It's a pity I'm too tired to care. Otherwise, he would find me a most troublesome guest._

Nothing looked familiar as she continued on, traversing the halls with only her instinct as her guide and her zanpakutoh as moral support. _If I wasn't so exhausted, maybe I could make more sense of things._ Haru found the wall as her knees buckled beneath the weighty fatigue and the intense hunger. After a moment of recovering, she drew a determined breath and continued on, this time at a slower pace. The inviting scent of a banquet wafted through the air, pulling Haru onward with renewed speed. Food was the closest thing to motivation she had at the moment. The reiatsu lingering just behind the closed door confirmed the end of her trek and her success.

Relief swept through her until she pulled the door open, whereupon she found herself pinned between the other side of the hallway and Byakuya's patient yet somewhat irate gaze. He was kneeling on a pillow, obsidian locks partly concealing his left eye and bringing out the subtle hint of blue within his optics that was balanced by his charcoal gray sleeping kimono. Beside him rested his own zanpakutoh, gleaming watchfully in the light.

"You're late." Those icy words were all it took to drive away the last warm remnants of comfort the bath had provided her with.

"Gomenasai," she managed, trying her best to appear at ease, "but I was counting on someone to physically show me the way. Instead, I find myself following a highly controlled trace of reiatsu and praying to the gods I'm not wrong about it being you." The patience in his gaze wavered, and Haru closed the door behind her without further delay. After situating herself on the pillow directly across from him, she set her sword down at her right side. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long… you could have started without me."

"Iie… starting without you would make me a rude host. If word got around that I affronted my guest, it may damage my reputation." Haru nodded slowly, trying to absorb the words and make sense of them, but her thoughts were still muddled by the day's events and her near-collapse. "At any rate, we should eat before it gets cold."

"Right," she murmured, clapping her hands together and saying, "Itadakimasu," in unison with her host. They ate in silence for a time, Haru thoughtfully working her way through a bowl of rice while Byakuya sipped his tea and discretely studied her. She looked into his eyes twice, but she saw nothing.

"Is something wrong, Haru?" Her hand twitched involuntarily, but she only shook her head in reply. "Lying is very unbecoming, you know, not to mention you're terrible at it." A ghost of a smile rushed quickly across her face before disappearing behind the reflective grimace she wore earlier that day. "Is the food not to your liking?"

"No, it's good, though…" Another smile pushed its way through, though her eyes still glimmered with a thousand pains well beyond his reckoning. "I never expected you were the type of person to like spicy food. Then again, I suppose I shouldn't be making judgments like that beings I only just met you." Even if the aroma cautioned Haru of the food's heat, she still coughed slightly after swallowing her first bite of fish.

"Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Fine, fine… I just wasn't expecting it," she answered, reaching for her tea cup and examining its scent. Byakuya watched as her eyes disappeared. The steam fogged her glasses momentarily before she lowered the cup slowly. "There's ginger in the tea, isn't there?"

"You can tell?" he asked incredulously, observing her as she took a sip.

"It's subtle, but a nice compliment to the ginger in the fish." Haru gazed at him for a moment before adding, "Does it surprise you?"

"I can barely smell it myself."

"Tea is one of the three great loves of my life, Byakuya-sama."

"Oh, and what are the others?"

"Poetry and kenjutsu." His brow twitched again as she continued to consume her meal, his eyes following her every motion, wavering between fascination and disbelief until Haru took notice of his observation. She tilted her head, silently questioning his focus; at last he shifted his blue-gray eyes away.

"You are of noble breeding, Tokazawa Miharu."

"Not at all," she responded in earnest.

"Have you forgotten already my advice in regards to lying?"

"I wasn't lying." In light of appearing ungrateful, Haru held back a stern leer at his distrust, opting instead for another bite of rice. The air between them grew more awkward with each passing moment of silence. "I'm not a noble, not by your standards anyway. What even made you think something like that?" The frustration in her tone prevented Byakuya from answering immediately. He sipped his tea and contemplated whatever discrete meaning lurked behind those words and keeping his gaze on the ground until Haru spoke again. "It's strange… eating with someone. I'm so used to dining alone, I think I've forgotten what it's like."

"Aren't you a little young to be living on your own?"

"No; I was a little young when I was thirteen, but I adjusted. Now, I suppose I just have to readjust, at least until the higher-ups decide what to do with me." She sipped her tea again, contemplating the situation as his gaze penetrated her in a vain attempt to uncover her motives. Haru ignored it for a few moments before glancing up from her meal. "What is it?" Byakuya hesitated, sipped his tea as he thought his wording over, and met her gaze again.

"You strike me as a very fascinating person, Haru." An empty smile flickered overcame her focus momentarily before the weariness seeped back into her gaze. "I would very much like to hear the details of your life."

"Maybe some other time." She emptied her tea cup and set it down while a bit of an irritated silence stewed around them. "Forgive my refusal… the memories are just too near right now." After setting the cup down, she bowed her head and muttered in a barely audible tone that seemed to contain every ounce of her exhaustion, "Gochisou sama deshita." Byakuya's echo accompanied her own utterance as they rose from the table.

"You seem tired. Would you like me to show you to your room?"

"It would be much appreciated, but… are you sure you want to keep me in the main house?"

"If I was uncertain, I would have made other arrangements," he stated as he pushed the door open. Haru followed him closely after retrieving her zanpakutoh, flinching slightly at the servant that bowed to her as she followed him. Doing her best to match her steps with those of her host, she trailed behind him like a second shadow, shifting her eyes when Byakuya's shot over his shoulder momentarily. "We're here."

With a cautious hand, Haru pushed the door open. The futon lying on the floor looked incredibly inviting at the moment, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. The decorations were ornate but not overly lavish, the room itself spacious but not excessively open. Byakuya stood behind her, trying to judge her reaction, but having nothing to go on save the subtle way her shoulders moved, he found himself failing miserably. "Does it please you?"

"Anything would please me at this point as long as it's soft enough to sleep on." Haru turned back to him, bowing so her eyes remained unseen. "Arigato-gonzaimasu, Byakuya-sama. Your hospitality is incomparable to anything I have ever experienced. Words cannot express my gratitude."

"It is not necessary," he responded, turning and continuing his steps down the hall. To her surprise, he opened the door directly next to her own and turned back. "Oyasuminasai."

"Oyasuminasai." With that, Haru shut the door, leaning against it to get her balance before staggering towards the futon. She threw herself on it once she got close enough, listening to the subtle steps in the room just next to her own. After a moment, they stopped, leaving nothing but the soundless descent of night to keep her awake. _It still feels odd,_ she thought, laying her zanpakutoh beside the futon and removing her glasses. _But I think I could get used to this._ She folded her arms and rested her chin on them, watching out of the corner of her eye the gradually fading light of the sun.

In time, the red sky turned violet-gray, then a deep hue of blue, broken only by the myriad of stars and the moon's pale glow. When she could watch no more, she rolled onto her side, curling up into a ball and allowing her eyes to disappear behind her lashes. Night's peaceful hush was broken by the sounds in her memory, playing one by one like tracks on a CD: squealing tires, a collective cry of alarm from the onlookers, the gentle pitter-patter of the rain against the pavement, the fierce roar of thunder…

Haru's eyes shot open before the inflow of memories continued. Hardly a moment of darkness had passed. She would have shut them again had she not known the result would be the same. Unsteady arms pushed her away from the pillow, drawing her into a sitting position. Her silvery eyes found the stars just outside her window, those beady little diamonds that always watched her on cloudless nights, knew her secrets but could never tell them, and she condemned them for their reminding gazes. Kept from sleep by vivid recollections of the day's events, Haru could only fold her hands in her lap and allow her shoulders to tremble beneath the weight of things she had no desire to remember.

Struggling against the burden, she managed to rise entirely, wrapping a hand around the wooden sword and creeping forward. Her other hand found the door and slid it open. Hardly aware of her actions, Haru meandered several paces down the hall before finding a different door in the dimly lit hall. Fatigue made her bold; she pushed it open without thinking, crossed the threshold, and pushed it shut behind her, leaning against it once it slid back into place.

He was standing at the window when she entered, her soft steps drawing no sign of acknowledgment. When the door closed, his gray eyes wandered back to her, scrutinized her for a moment in an attempt to find a motive, and then returned to the night sky. "Are you having trouble sleeping, Haru?" No answer, just the sound of her slight hiss as she slid into a sitting position. She studied his silhouette for a moment, outlined faintly by the moon. The silver light seemed more content with playing on his obsidian hair.

"Gomenasai."

"Hmm?"

"I'm being troublesome." Byakuya turned to her again, his eyes glimmering as they caught the moon. "Would it be all right… if I stayed in here for a little while? I don't think I can be alone right now."

"Nande?"

"I don't know," she answered, drawing her knees up and hiding her shadow-veiled face in them. His silhouette disappeared from the window as his steps crossed the room.

"You should have knocked."

"I know…" Haru kept her eyes hidden, even when she felt his shadow pass between her and the moon. There was a shuffle as Byakuya seated himself before her, wincing at the hardness of the floor beneath his knees.

"Did you know the girl that died today, Haru?"

"Know her?" A difficult glimmer came into her eyes as she threw them to the darkest corner of the room. "I was her." For some reason, this information failed to startle him; he simply tightened his fist and allowed it to relax again. Haru glanced at him for a moment, saw the mild irritation in his gaze… but her own fatigue made her too bold to care. She simply returned her eyes to the corner, letting the moonlight fall across one cheek. "Would you like to know the strangest thing about dying, Byakuya-sama?"

"You're going to tell me even if I decline." Haru glanced at him again, digging beyond the annoyance in his eyes. Beneath it lingered an understanding of her need and willingness to talk; even in her state, she was sure it existed. With an empty smile, she turned her head to face him entirely, keeping her knees drawn up and her chin resting on them.

"Imagine looking down on your mangled corpse, seeing the twisted anguish on your own face, the fading glimmer in your own eyes, and realizing that you are no longer alive. Imagine standing in a pool of your own blood while you contemplate exactly what action you should take. Every instant from the moment that car hit me was one enormous oddity. I only felt pain for a moment when my head hit the windshield; it was driving fast enough that it broke my neck. But I could still see, I could still feel my body drift through the air. It was like flying on broken wings, if only for a moment. I could still taste, but it was only blood in my mouth, and I could smell the smoke from the tires grinding against the pavement. The only sense I lost was my hearing; the tires no longer screamed, the rumble of thunder that began just before I was hit became engulfed by silent oblivion, even the anguished cries of those who witnessed it… I could only hear my dying thoughts. I fondly recalled everything I said I would do when I got older, when I graduated, and how it no longer meant anything at all."

Byakuya remained silent, studying her with grave and serious eyes. Following a brief experimental pause to ensure he had no objections to her leading the conversation, Haru continued. "Hitting the ground was probably the worst; my soul was jarred from my body by the force, just in time to hear my right shoulder pop out of joint and three of my ribs crack. I rolled twice across the pavement before coming to a stop on my back, leaving a trail of blood that marked my route. I stood there, dumbfounded, as a pool of my own blood collected around my feet. All I could do was watch as the final sparks of life drifted from my half-lidded eyes. Gods… my face was so bloody… my skull was cracked, my jaw and nose were broken... I hardly even recognized myself. I was such a mess…"

Haru let another brief pause pass, drawing an unsteady breath before pressing onward. "My hearing came back little by little. The roll of thunder, the cries for an ambulance, the agonized pleas and apologies of the driver… then, sirens in the distance. By then, the storm had grown in strength, forcing me away from my corpse to take refuge. But gods… none of that even compares to looking into my own lifeless eyes. I don't know why, but I think… they looked relieved."

She realized Byakuya's attention was still fixed on her words, or perhaps it was her eyes. Feeling her self-control slipping away, Haru hid them immediately as another tremor worked its way through her entire body. When she spoke, that same tremor accompanied her words. "There were so many things… I wanted to do… I didn't want to die…" She resisted the grievous tempest for one last moment before succumbing. Night's tranquility was shattered by the heartbroken sobs of a girl mourning the loss of everything she knew. With her eyes hidden behind her knees, she couldn't see Byakuya's composure falter. His hand tightened again for a moment before relaxing. He was at a complete loss for dealing with the matter fate deemed fair to present him with. After listening to her cry for some time, an idea finally pressed through his confusion, and a single harmless question drifted through the air.

"How did you deal with insomnia when you were living alone?"

"The same way I am now," she responded, raising her eyes but avoiding her host's gaze. "I curled up in a shadow until it passed and just went to sleep. Sometimes, I would stay like this all night." Byakuya considered her answer for a moment, raising a thoughtful hand to his chin while struggling to hide the pity in his eyes.

"That simply won't do," he said at last, lifting Haru off the floor as if speaking of her death had made her weightless.

"What are you doing?" A tremor of fear passed through her voice as he gently set her upon his own futon, pulling the covers over her quivering body. Something in Byakuya's movements was awkward as he crossed to the other side and slipped beneath the inviting warmth beside her.

"You're staying here tonight. Just mind your distance." She blinked in disbelief at his words. Even if his back was to her, she could almost see the discomfort stirring in his eyes.

"Byakuya-sama…"

"If you're going to argue, then I suggest you remain silent. I am not in the mood."

"But…" With an exasperated sigh, he turned to face Haru, but the way she was looking at him scattered every ounce of irritation lingering in his gaze. The moonlight touched the tears running down her face, giving them a silvery hue until they shifted into a shadow. Her eyes were frightened and distressed, but there was one particular aspect of them that caught his attention. A pale hand brushed against her cheek, wiping the remaining signs of sorrow away, as that aspect drew him slightly closer. Byakuya felt her tense beneath the hand as her eyes attempted to dodge his gaze, but it was too late. He had already seen.

"Violet." That one incredulous word scattered the pieces of night's silence that had fallen back into place. Haru's gaze moved to his again, shyly locking with her host's. "My gods... they really are violet." There was no abhorrence in Byakuya's eyes as he said it again; rather, they were filled with a subtle and calming admiration.

"You can tell?" A gentle nod was the only answer he gave her. In a moment, he realized his hand was still on her face and pulled it away, looking a little offended but more embarrassed than anything. Haru could only laugh quietly when she imagined the blush the shadows effectively hid. For a time, he was silent and motionless. "Are you asleep?"

"Iie. And you?"

"Getting there." For the first time since Byakuya moved her, she dared to move, curling into a loose ball as fatigue's hazy fingers ran through her veins. "Byakuya-sama?"

"Hmm?"

"Arigato." Under normal circumstances, he would have corrected her familiar expression of gratitude, but she was so close to sleep, he saw no point in doing so. Contentment overcame Haru's expression as her breathing slowed to a barely audible sigh. Her only other movement was a slight flinch as sleep carried her away from the agonies of consciousness. Byakuya watched her doze for a few moments, resisting his own exhaustion until he was certain of her peace. Then, with a slight shift in the positioning of his arms, he condescendingly succumbed to sleep and the peaceful oblivion that came soon after.

* * *

Wow, you made it. Sorry; I know it's long (Windows Media Player just decided to put on Rolling Star... how appropriate! XD) Here follow translations for those of you who don't know Japanese (and frankly, I don't know much myself, but I just realized how much Japanese is in this chapter...): 

Sumimasen : Excuse me

Hai : Yes

Gomenasai : Uber-polite form of I'm sorry (and I think I'm spelling it wrong, but I'm too tired to care. XD)

Iie : No

Nandesuka : What is it

Ano : Sort of like a Japanese equivalent of our "uh" or "um."

Baka : Stupid

Itadakimasu : I recieve (said before a meal)

Daijoubu desu ka : Are you all right

Kenjutsu : A form of martial arts dealing with the use of a sword (thank you, Wikipedia!)

Gochisou sama deshita : Thank you for the meal (said after a meal)

Oyasuminasai : Good night (said just before going to bed)

Nande : Why

Arigato : Normal version of thank you


	3. Chapter 3: Motivation

A/N: I take back what I said about fanfiction being a waste of time... I'm having WAY too much fun writing this. It's going to be a long one, all, so prepare to stick out a rather lengthy duration. I'll keep writing if you all keep motivating me (it's mere coincidence that this chapter is entitled _Motivation_. Before I start, I want to thank my two reviewers (because that's two more than I expected) the one person who favorited it, and the seven people who added it to their alerts (you know who you are... I'm kind of drowsy, so I really don't feel like looking up the names; nevertheless, do not mistake my idleness for unappreciation... thank you all! ) Your input and encouragement, either with actions or words, has been a great help and fantastic motivator! Without further ado, here is chapter 3... Merry Fishmas to all!

* * *

_Chapter 3: Motivation_

Sound sleep remained with the two of them until morning, until the rays of the morning sun permeated the comfortable oblivion that had consumed them. Byakuya was the first to wake, musing over the unusual warmth he felt. It took him a moment to realize exactly what was brushing against the bare chest peering through his sleeping kimono, and when he did, his midnight eyes shot open as a bolt of tension temporarily seized him. That was all the further he could move without disturbing the girl beside him, her arms curled before her, her untamed nutmeg hair spread on the pillow behind her, its restraint nowhere to be found. A look of utter peace filled her expression; it was that peace which kept him from moving any further.

As he mused over how exactly to handle the situation, Byakuya studied her as she slept. Wherever she was, Haru avoided the troubling memories she carried in consciousness. Tentatively, he reached a hand out to brush the nutmeg locks away from her sleeping eyes, drawing a slight sigh from her as the pale finger drew a trail down the back of her neck. An innocent look of bewilderment overwhelmed her expression; instinctively, Haru tightened her hand, stirring without waking. Curious, he moved his hand lower, allowing it to brush against the soft fabric of the sleeping kimono covering her back.

A quiet whimper broke the silence as Haru's hand shot forward and closed around the fabric of his sleeping kimono. "Please don't… stop…" she murmured softly, quivering as Byakuya's hand slowly moved against her spine. Quirking an amused brow, he allowed himself to smile briefly as his fingers reversed their direction, moving towards her neck again. Haru's weight pressed against his chest as she tried to hide herself from the gentle motion. Sensing that she couldn't breathe, she moved her head as she came back to life, her eyes glistening bewilderedly at the strange sensation gliding along her spine. "Byakuya-sama… stop…"

"You just told me not to," he returned casually, reversing his direction again.

"Well, now I am…" Her breath hitched as a full recognition of the situation leapt into her head. It was her custom to lay in bed while she came entirely to consciousness, but she couldn't concentrate with that confounded hand drawing a curving line up and down her spine. Before she could even think about what she was doing, Haru shoved him backwards with a force that effectively knocked him out of his own futon. He was given no time to react, nor could he have, tangled in the blankets as he was. He could only stare bemusedly as she took up the stance to use Sai on him.

Around that time, Haru came to her senses. Her breaths were still labored, her violet eyes still flashing warnings far fiercer than Byakuya would have imagined her capable of, but she seemed more composed. With a sigh, she dropped to her knees, studying her host tentatively and wrapping one hand around her sleeping kimono. Hostility dimmed to shame, and at last, she threw her gaze to the floor. "Well," Byakuya said as he sat up, "this isn't exactly the good-morning I expected, especially since you were the one who came to me."

"Gomenasai," she murmured. "It's just… I don't like people touching me where I can't see them." He pushed his obsidian locks out of his eyes to study her better, his dark eyes flashing once they locked on her quivering hand. "I didn't intend to push you so hard, but my back is really sensitive."

"Does it hurt?"

"I should be the one asking you that, Byakuya-sama." A ghost of a smile crossed her face as she rose her eyes. "But no, it doesn't hurt; it just feels odd." Byakuya turned it over in his mind for a moment, ceasing only at the gentle knock on his door and the sound of it gliding open.

"Ohayo-gonzaimasu, Kuchiki-sama. I have brought your tea." It was one of the servants from last night. His head was bowed, but Haru could sense the amusement dancing in his eyes as his eyes shifted from her His face was overcome by an entertained grin he attempted to hide as he shifted his gaze from Haru, still gasping slightly and holding her sleeping kimono closed as her lengthy nutmeg tresses, free of their restraint, fell to her waist, to the disheveled futon. The assumption in his eyes was blatant; he made no attempt to hide it. "Should I bring another cup?"

"Hai." The door closed behind him, and as his footsteps disappeared, Haru swore she heard him laughing. "Is something the matter?"

"Iie… nothing…" she murmured, resisting the temptation to cover her blush with both hands. Nothing more was said until the second cup arrived. The servant poured the cups silently, capturing Haru's silvery eyes for a moment and smirking discretely. She couldn't help but turn deeper crimson under the thumb of his silent accusations. Once he was gone, Haru breathed a sigh of relief, taking the tea cup Byakuya held out to her and sipping it thoughtfully. "Byakuya-sama…" When he gave no sign of listening, Haru could only assume that he was. "You aren't angry with me, are you?"

"What would I be angry about?"

"Oh, I don't know… listening to my outpour of emotional baggage, being forced to share your home and bed with one of common blood, receiving nothing in return but a rude awakening and a shove that knocked you out of your own futon?" Byakuya gazed at her darkly through the mist rising from his tea cup. Without her glasses, the trace of violet in her eyes was quite intense. Within them lingered the clear traces of fear, yet her lips were curled into a shy smile.

"All valid points, but I see no reason to linger on them." Relieved, Haru allowed herself a brief moment of relaxation. The tea was quickly drowning what little caution remained regarding the Kuchiki heir. She looked towards the window, pushing her hair behind her ear and sipping the tea thoughtfully. "How is it?"

"It's wonderful. The white tea's subtle flavor blends well with rose petals."

"I'm glad you like it." Haru smiled as she drained her cup, setting it on the tray and rifling through the futon until she found the tie for her hair.

"It must have come out while I was sleeping," she muttered, more to herself than her host. Practiced hands gathered every loose end of hair save two pieces, which she left hanging to frame her face. They somehow managed to tie the gold ribbon into a bow, even while Byakuya watched her with the utmost fascination. When she was finished, she folded her hands in her lap, peering towards the graying sky with doleful eyes. "I really am sorry… for all the trouble I have caused you, Byakuya-sama. I hope you can forgive me for my weakness. I just… I couldn't hold it in."

"You don't need to apologize for being afraid, Haru." Byakuya poured himself another cup of tea and sipped it as he contemplated what he needed to do during the course of the day. More importantly, he wasn't quite sure what to do with Haru when he left. _I could leave her here, but Genryuusai-dono advised me to keep a close eye on her._ There was only one other option, and considering the fact that her presence did nothing to irritate or distract him, he was willing to see what taking that road would yield. "Get dressed."

"Nani?" she inquired suddenly.

"I need to be at the office by eight. You are accompanying me."

"But…"

"Breakfast will begin in fifteen minutes. Do not be late."

"But…"

"You are wasting time arguing." His eyes were serious and strict, the same way they had been when he first found her. With a nod of understanding, Haru darted to the corner to retrieve her zanpakutoh and disappeared beyond the door's opening, pushing it shut before those midnight eyes could burn into her anymore than they already had. Upon re-entering what was supposed to be her room in the first place, Haru found, as promised, her shinigami uniform folded neatly by her futon. She closed the door and proceeded to dress, tying her hakama as neatly yet as quickly as time would allow. Once she pulled her socks on, she impulsively straightened the futon before seizing her sword and making her way towards the dining room at a brisk walk. Instinct told her to act as if nothing happened the night before, as if her dreamless hours were spent in her own futon instead of in his.

Something in the atmosphere confirmed it as she pushed the door open. Haru wasn't the least bit surprised to find him the same as she had last night: his gaze was patient and composed, his face stoic and emotionless with a lingering hint of irritation. Aside from the meal's content, his garb, and the kenseiken that kept his hair manageable, it was like reliving dinner all over again. "Ohayo-gonzaimasu, Byakuya-sama." Once Haru knelt across from him, they began the meal in silence. That was when she caught him observing her motions, analyzing the composure in them as she slowly consumed the food placed before her. She peered from him behind the lenses of her glasses, but the gaze no longer seemed to affect him. "Nandesuka?"

"You were late again." Haru gave a slight bow of apology, trying not to choke on the morsel in her mouth.

"Gomenasai," she returned once she swallowed, keeping her eyes away from his. They continued in the same manner as they began; not a word passed between them until the meal ended. Byakuya stirred with the intent to rise until Haru peered at him again. "I must be very troublesome for you, disrupting your routine and intruding on your privacy. Please forgive me." When he said nothing, Haru quickly added, "I hope you don't think me ungrateful for your hospitality, especially after this morning…"

"Haru," Byakuya interjected, his voice stern. "I find it best not to linger on such things." She glanced at him incredulously for a few moments, watching him as he secured his zanpakutoh at his side and began towards the door. "Come along, Haru. I have a feeling that a mountain of paper work is already waiting for me." It didn't take them long to find out that he was absolutely right. Now that she was conscious, Haru wasted no time disrupting the captain as he led her towards their destination; instead, she tried to take in as much of it as she could. His steps were steady and full of a contemplation she had no desire to disturb.

Byakuya reached out a hand to open the door to the sixth division's office, but he was jarred as Haru again collided with him. "Sumimasen," she said, smiling in response to the leer he thrust in her direction. "This place is just so amazing… I guess I got caught up in taking it all in."

"Have you already forgotten what I told you about being more attentive?" The irritation in his voice was subtle, but it was more than enough to draw Haru's head into a bow. Sighing, he pushed the door to his office open, grimacing at the unusually large amount of paperwork sitting on his desk, threatening to spill onto the floor. "Ano… Byakuya-sama…"

"What is it?" he inquired, raising a hand to his head.

"Is there any particular reason you brought me along?"

"Iie."

"Then why did you?" If there had been a reason, he had forgotten it. The stacks of papers did nothing to jog his memory, but they did arouse in him a sense of duty and motivation. He seated himself, peering at Haru as her head swiveled to take in every nook and cranny of the building where he spent a majority of his time.

_That's right…_ he thought suddenly, his eyes skimming over a form. _I was absent yesterday due to a recommended excursion to the human world, and with Renji still there, I have twice as much as I am accustomed to. _ Byakuya's focus returned fully to the sheet he was holding. _They could have organized it better at the very least. What must I to do obtain worthwhile subordinates these days?_ Haru turned to him as he let a frustrated sigh slip past his lips before scurrying into a corner and leaning her zanpakutoh against the wall. Her steps floating across the room as she strolled casually up to his desk. A cautious hand plucked a single sheet from the innumerable stacks. "I don't believe you are qualified to handle that, Haru," he said in a discretely threatening monotone.

"Perhaps not," she said after a time, "but there must be something I can do." Something in her voice served to stir a seldom-felt vehemence within him. He hadn't felt that way since Ichigo's fluke of a victory; that was back when the brazen redhead was still considered a ryoka. His brow twitched slightly as he raised his eyes, seeing that Haru was analyzing him in the precise way he had done so at breakfast. The trace of boldness that possessed her encouraged Haru to a second form from a pile at the opposite side of the desk, scanning it as she had the first before studying the two documents together. "From what I can see, these documents have three things in common: a date, a number, and a colored dot."

"How observant. Now, put them back." A violet gaze challenged his own, hesitant yet unyielding, dimmed only by the transparent shield of her glasses and the rigid air that separated them.

"I think I can make your job easier, Byakuya-sama, if you would let me."

"The only person in this room qualified to handle these documents is me," he said coldly. "If I allow some rookie to handle them, I would be violating the rules and thus be liable to pay suitable recompense if Genryuusai-dono deems it necessary." Haru's gaze flickered with understanding, but her determination was unwavering. "If you insist on being stubborn about this, you may leave. Otherwise, I will require nothing more than your unimposing company."

"As you wish." Haru gave an indifferent shrug as she set the two forms in their respective piles and retreated to her corner. She rested her sword in the crook of her arm, allowing her hands to fall to her lap and her eyes to close. A content tranquility filled every aspect of her expression, almost identical to that which she wore in sleep. Once he was certain Haru would no longer distract him, Byakuya resumed his work without another moment's delay.

Time rolled by, bearing only silence and a feeling of progress on its ever-changing wings. The sun continued to cross the sky as it always had, but Haru's position remained unchanged; Byakuya began to wonder if she actually had fallen asleep. Her eyes shot open at the subtle sound of approaching footsteps. The door opened to reveal a shinigami carrying a solitary piece of paper. "Kuchiki-taichou!"

"If it is more paperwork, I'm afraid you'll have to find somewhere else to put it."

"Shimori-sensei requests your help, sir. He says he has a student who seems to have some trouble with kidou and would like your advice. I have the formal request right here." As if Haru and her fascinated gaze were invisible to the messenger, he paced forward and handed the form to Byakuya, bowing before he took his leave. Byakuya merely stared at it for a moment, letting out an irate sigh as he rose from behind his desk and began towards the door. He paused when he felt Haru's questioning gaze follow him.

"Are you coming?" She took her sword in both hands and eagerly followed him, keeping her distance and doing her best to focus, but she found it difficult with so many fascinating people and things to look at. "You seem like a different person today, Haru."

"That's because I slept so well last night." Haru faltered at the mention of sleep, wondering if he felt the awkward burn of the morning's events, but he showed no sign of being affected.

"Apparently not. You were sleeping just now."

"I was meditating," she returned with a smile.

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing in particular; just letting my mind wander." This time, she remembered to stop when Byakuya did, avoiding another close encounter with that devilishly soft scarf of his. Haru pulled the door shut once she removed her sandals and followed her host in. "Who exactly is this Shimori-sensei?"

"He is the one in charge of instructing kidou at the academy. Every true shinigami undergoes training in various areas here before becoming fully certified and assigned to a division. It is both organized and difficult, not like what little impromptu training you may have received in the human world." Haru bit back every foul word that threatened to push its way out, reminding herself that getting angry would do no good. After all, he was a high-ranking captain, and she a mere amateur that by some fluke was considered a special case. "Haru..."

"Hai?"

"Stay here. I'll only be a minute." Nodding gently, she watched as Byakuya disappeared behind the door, his scarf waving a silent farewell before he vanished from sight. She could hear voices from behind the door, but the gentle rattle of the square metal hoop atop the handle of her sword drove away any thoughts of spying. Driven by instinct alone, Haru walked lightly across the floor, opening the fourth door she came to and sliding it shut behind her. She entered unobserved and unnoticed, a shadow with eyes that bore witness to a scene that served to stir her unpleasant memories.

"Face it, Reiko, you'll never get it," one of the male students was saying. It seemed to be the consensus of the entire group much to Haru's chagrin. The girl simply avoided everyone's eyes as they continued murmuring their sincere doubts. "If you can't fire a simple kidou, you'll never be a shinigami."

"Never say never," Haru stated. The unfamiliar voice startled them into a silence so complete that her steps echoed as she crossed the room. Keeping a firm hold on her sword, she approached the disgruntled young woman, whose fists were clenched and whose expression bore the fires of a thousand disappointments.

"Aren't you a little young to be a shinigami?"

"Look at that sword… it's made of wood. She's not even really a shinigami yet."

"Urusai," she commanded, her voice calm yet firm. Adjusting the hold on her sword again, she came to a stop before Reiko, who was currently fighting back tears of disappointment. "May I ask what your name is?"

"Takahashi… Reiko." The response came after a brief pause, which was implemented on the student's part to regain her composure, and on the shinigami's part to survey her surroundings. "What… division are you from?" she inquired shyly.

"As of yet, none. I only arrived yesterday."

"Then you're no shinigami; you're a ryoka." Haru's hand twitched as it tightened around the wooden sword, her eyes flashing another warning to remain silent while she thought things over.

"Tell me, Reiko-san… exactly what kidou you're working on." The taller girl seemed a little surprised at the way Haru addressed her. Encouraged by a smile, Reiko worked up her courage and delivered the answer Haru requested.

"Shakkahou," she responded willingly, "but I just can't seem to get the hang of it. I never was good with kidou, even if I can do other things well enough to pass." Haru's smile never faded as she rested her sword in the corner and returned, taking hold of Reiko's wrist as she shot toward the line of targets. "Wait… what are you…"

"Can you show me, Reiko-san?"

"You won't be seeing anything, Shinjin-san," answered the same cheeky student who had been voicing his doubts when Haru entered the room. Reiko's green eyes flashed doubtfully as they met those of the girl standing beside her.

"Don't listen to him; he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Now, show me your stance."

"Demo…"

"Come on… it can't hurt, can it?" Hesitantly, Reiko did as she was told, turning her eyes to the target before her. "Relax your shoulders a bit more… that's right, and spread your feet out." Haru raised a hand to her chin to survey her pupil for a moment, coming to the conclusion that it was sufficient. "Now, the incantation…" A waver in Reiko's stance caught her attention immediately. "You do remember the incantation, right?"

"Of course I do, but… even when I say it, nothing happens."

"Show me." Clear hesitance burned in Reiko's eyes as she turned her attention back towards the target. She seemed to enter a momentary debate with herself as to the benefits of trying. Eventually, that determined part of her won out in the end, and she began the incantation.

"Oh ruler, mask of flesh and blood, all creations of the universe, fluttering of the wings, ye who bears the name of man! Scorching heat and disorder, evolve the transposition of the southern sea barrier. Hadou no sanjuuichi, Shakkahou!" That attempt was no different than the others; nothing happened, not even a slight fluctuation in reiatsu took place.

"Like I said before, you suck at kidou, Reiko. You'll never get it, so just give up now." Reiko dropped her head, her hair hiding her painfully disappointed eyes from view, but a hand on her shoulder brought them away from the floor. Haru's gaze burned with a vivid knowledge so intense that Reiko couldn't help but gape slightly at it.

"Once more, but this time, let's try it together, all right?" The confident smile was contagious, and reassured by Haru's encouraging demeanor, the disgruntled student had no arguments in acquiescing. "I want you to do something before you start the incantation again."

"Nani?" She hadn't expected the sudden break in focus. After seeing Haru's certainty, however, she couldn't bring herself to argue. The arms of the younger shinigami rose slowly until her hands were eye level, her eyes vanished behind their lids, and a look of placidity caused her shoulders to drop slightly.

"Stand just as I am now."

"Should I close my eyes?"

"I find it helpful to." Reiko obeyed, her concentration not the least bit disturbed of the door at the back of the room opening. "Good, now… I want you to imagine nothingness on all sides, unending nothingness stretching in every conceivable direction."

"How is this going to help my kidou?"

"Just trust me," Haru returned, listening for the shift of fabric that indicated Reiko had reassumed her stance. "Do you see it?"

"I see it."

"Do you feel it?"

"Feel it?" Reiko inquired.

"If you truly feel nothingness, then you imagine being suspended in midair, completely stationary and without conscious thought." A slight shift in reiatsu fostered the smile on Haru's face. "It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?"

"I feel like I'm drowning, but there's nothing there to drown in."

"Don't be afraid," Haru reassured her, perceiving the tremor that crept across Reiko's words. "It will only be nothingness as long as you allow it to be."

"What should I look for?"

"A speck."

"A speck?"

"That's right… an incredibly small speck in that vast sea of nothingness that the unconscious you is immersed in. It's so small, you don't even know if it is darkness or light, and it seems so distant that you can't even discern its shape or color. Do you see it, Reiko-san?"

"I see it," she said, her voice unwavering and sincere.

"Good. Now, make it grow."

"How do I do that?"

"It will start with something negative, like sadness or regret… or doubt," Haru added as an afterthought, "but with that doubt, the tiny point becomes a little more discernable. Then comes shame, or fear of failure, which makes it grow even more, and as it grows, its brilliance will almost demand admiration, and that admiration will begin to drive every negative thought from your mind. A sense of duty or devotion, a euphoric happiness, all the positive things will begin to amass until at last, the nothingness will cease to exist. Your heart will take flight, and you will surpass the brilliance of your own making. Tell me, Reiko-san, do you see it?"

"I see it!" she answered, her voice almost as impassioned as Haru's had become.

"That's right!" Haru said, opening her eyes and cutting through the air with her hand. "Greatness comes in many forms, Reiko-san, and each person has their own conception of what greatness is. We must move beyond that horizon we set for ourselves by using every ounce of our beings in every aspect of life. Otherwise, there will always be a line separating us from what we are and what we could be. Along the way, you may just be lucky enough to become the positive thing that fosters what began as a tiny little speck. Remember this: always aim for the heavens; even if you miss, you will land among the stars. Are you ready to aim for the heavens, Reiko-san?"

"I was born ready."

"Then let's aim together, because flying with someone is always better than flying alone. The incantation, Reiko-san… let's have it." They took up the stance Haru had suggested earlier, their feet apart, their shoulders relaxed, one hand extended towards two separate targets. No ounce of doubt permeated the raw determination the speakers possessed, so intense that the entire room remained silent save for the words they spoke in unison.

"Oh ruler, mask of flesh and blood, all creations of the universe, fluttering of the wings, ye who bears the name of man! Scorching heat and disorder, evolve the transposition of the southern sea barrier. Hadou no sanjuuichi, Shakkahou!" Two blasts of red flame darted forth, each striking its target dead center, while an awed murmur swept over their observers. Reiko blinked in disbelief, staring at the obliterated remains of what used to be a target, before shifting her eyes to Haru.

"Now… that's aiming for the heavens," Haru stated, nodding her head with approval. "You can't let others cage you with their doubts in your abilities; otherwise, you will never get to fly." A delighted laugh sounded as Haru was jarred by the overjoyed victor, who threw her arms around the younger girl's shoulders while failing to hold back her happy tears.

"Oh, thank you… thank you so much," Reiko whispered in her ear.

"See? I always said she could do it," said the cheeky young man, who had moments earlier expressed significantly different beliefs. Haru sighed with relief once she was released, smiling as Reiko wiped away her joyous tears. Horror quickly permeated the euphoric victory in her expression as she spotted two figures standing at the back of the room.

"Shi… Shimori-sensei…" she stammered. "Kuchiki-taichou…" Upon hearing that name, Haru desperately wished herself into oblivion. She could almost feel the offense burning in his gaze. Wordlessly, she crossed the room, moving slowly towards her sword as his eyes followed her. She didn't give him the pleasure of seeing her trepidation, made stronger by the incessant dance of the square metal hoop atop her wooden sword.

"Calm down," she whispered to her sword. "I'm right here." A dark foreboding permeated her gaze, forcing the last fragments of her pleasure into the recesses of her mind. _It can't be… if it was, then Byakuya-sama would sense it. But what else could it be? More importantly, how much time do I have before it gets here? _Haru's hand stretched slowly towards her sword as each second stretched to the length of eternity. Just before touching it, she paused, sensing a subtle yet definite shift in the atmosphere. _One has never attacked me while I'm with people before. Should I warn them? Can I protect them? _But all questions fell uselessly away with the realization that the time for thinking had already passed into irreversible oblivion.

* * *

Wow... another slightly lengthy chapter. I originally intended to heap chapters 3 and 4 together, but I didn't think it would turn out this long. Thanks for reading, and again, everyone have a Happy Chrismahanukwanza! And for those of you who don't know Japanese... 

Sai : "Obstruction," the first binding art or Bakudou.

Gomenasai : Formal sorry... yes, I think this is how you spell it, and I intend to go fix my mistakes immediately. '

Ohayo-Gonzaimasu : Formal good morning

Hai : Yes

Iie : No

Nani : What

Nandesuka : What is it

Sumimasen : Excuse me

Ano : The Japanese equivalent to our "Um"

Urusai : Shut up

Shinjin : Rookie, at least, according to Google and Babelfish

Demo : But

I didn't think there was that much Japanese in there, but I guess I was wrong. Sorry for any misspellings and such regarding the Japanese... I don't pretend to be a Japanese major! Also, in case anyone was wondering, I got the incantations from the information section of They have info about the rest of the kidou (demon arts) there too. I'll be using it pretty much every time I need to know the incantation or name of a kidou, so I shouldn't need to say this again. Until next chapter! 3


	4. Chapter 4: Ramen

A/N: Holy moly! Chapter four took a while to write... and the title kind of spoils part of it, but I don't care. It was great fun... you get to see a little more of... well, I'll let you read it. ' Thanks to all my readers, reviewers, stalkers (a.k.a. the people who have me on alert), and my two favoriters. You all rule! Mas kudos to your support and encouragement, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! Oh, and for the record, I still don't own Bleach... in fact, I only partly own the characters I made up. But if I did... oh, if I did...

* * *

_Chapter 4: Ramen_

Surprise flooded every nook of the room as the wall to Haru's left came apart. She managed to snatch her sword up before leaping backwards, narrowly avoiding the attack that was intended to kill her. There were cries, but none were full of pain; only an antagonizing shock at the room being breeched from something other than the door. From the back of the room, she caught a voice (likely that of Shimori) ushering his students out of the room as quickly as he could, but a sinister laughter killed any thought of leaving. Being merely students, they had never been up against a real hollow before, let alone the beastly thing peering through the gap it had just made in the wall.

The dust settled, revealing the rigid figure standing between Haru and the violator of the academy's sanctity. A gentle dripping sound permeated the silence; around that time, she became aware of the laceration adorning her left cheek, likely the result of being hit by some fragment of degree while sailing through the air. Though just a simple cut that would heal in several days' time, it spoke of far greater things as another red droplet let go and descended to the floor. It was a blatant affront of her pride, and having already bit back words in her defense several times, it was more than enough to make her blood boil.

"You… why are you here?" Byakuya demanded, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword but remaining otherwise composed. The creature gave a rather beastly chuckle before shifting its gleaming eyes to Haru.

"I've finally found it… I've finally found what Aizen-sama has been looking for." A rather quizzical look permeated the heat in Byakuya's eyes, growing more by the minute as the monster continued speaking. "Glory shall be mine when I present him with this gift, this abominable gift so much more beastly than a hollow. On this day, Soul Society's fate will be sealed; it will crumble at Aizen-sama's feet, and my name will forever be remembered in the new world that emerges!"

"Are you finished yet?" The interjection startled Haru's attacker into silence and drew Byakuya's gaze away from the impending threat. Her tone was cold, her violet eyes were flashing vehemently, and her expression bore a slight semblance to the look on her face when she nearly used Sai on him that morning.

"Nani? You want to speak your last words now, girl?"

"I only have three…" she responded. Byakuya couldn't argue with her, not when that vicious gold light was flashing through her gaze, magnifying the violet in them to untold levels. Slowly and thoughtfully, Haru relinquished the grip her right hand imposed on her Zanpakutoh, raising it with deliberateness and determination. After a moment, she turned her palm towards herself, holding her middle finger erect as her glare grew shaper. "Up yours, asshole!" She didn't see Byakuya's brow twitch at the gesture or the expletive; she was focused solely on the beast of a hollow staring down at her in complete bewilderment. Clearly, he didn't think her capable of implementing such an improper gesture. "You're an arrancar, right? I will condescendingly admit that you have mastered cloaking your reiatsu to an almost undetectable level, but that one advantage is nullified by the fact that you just don't seem to know when to shut up."

"Nani?" he stammered.

"I'd ask you to deliver a message to Aizen for me, saying that if he wants me so badly, he can come and get me himself if he can manage to catch me, but two flaws prevent me from doing so, the first being that I would never willingly go alive with him."

"And the second?" the arrancar demanded when she left the point unspoken.

"You won't be going back alive, either."

"Oh?" The eyes of the arrancar flashed menacingly as he raised his enormous hand. "I will make you eat your words, girl, by killing everyone in this room!" Haru rammed the wooden sword into the obi holding her hakama together, pulling her arms out of her uniform's black sleeves. Strangely enough, the white layer lacked the sleeves the outer one possessed. She stepped past Byakuya without even looking at him, taking up the same stance she had while instructing Reiko and holding it for a considerably shorter interval before pressing her left palm against the back of her right hand.

"Pearl of the night sky, ruler of black heaven, look down on the sleeping world below. With your silver glow, sever darkest shadows while casting shadows darker still. Fly on something more than wind as you dance on the river's surface and race the impending dawn."

_That incantation… my gods… is she actually going to use… _ No sooner had Byakuya completed his thought did Haru raise her eyes, flashing violet against the red glow of the cero intended to destroy them all.

"Hadou no nyuujuusan! Gatsutaihou!" A white brilliance enveloped the room as Haru fired her kidou, which scattered the cero and obliterated the arrancar upon contact. A brisk wind flew about the room, probing a few smaller pieces of debris into motion as those present stood staring in shock and amazement, trying to discern whatever may have been immersed in the glow. After a time, it grew less intense and scattered, leaving the room as in tact as it had been when the arrancar forced its entry. Even more surprising was the fact that Haru was still standing, her back to her audience, listening to the blood slowly dripping against the floor.

She spent a stationary moment examining the spot where the arrancar had been, but once she decided the threat had passed, she sank to the floor and clutched her wounded right arm. Blood oozed freely through the fingers intended to slow its flow. A web of crimson rivulets encircled her elbow, raced towards her wrist, and flowed freely over her palms until taking their freedom slowly by dropping off her fingertips. "Daijoubu desu ka?" asked the monotone voice of the shadow standing over her. Haru gave no response, even under the fierce gaze penetrating her trembling shoulders. "You're hurt."

"Iie…" Haru raised her eyes, unveiling the sorrow in them. "It's the memories more than the pain. I'll be fine in a moment." Seeing the victory mingled with her fears, Byakuya had no choice but to trust her. She struggled to unwrap the hilt of her zanpakutoh, which shared the exact same rectangular prism shape as the rest of her sword, and steadily took the one end in her teeth, wrapping about her arm with a shaky hand. Haru knew it would be nearly impossible to wrap her injury with the way her hand was trembling. Even so, she couldn't help but throw a shocked glance at Byakuya when he knelt at her side, took the ends of the dressing from her, and began wrapping it himself. "Arigato-gonzaimasu…" A hiss of pain cut off whatever else she had to say as he began wrapping it tighter than she intended to. "Byakuya-sama… not so tight…"

"Perhaps the pain will remind you not to overexert yourself in the future. Additionally, it will serve as punishment for that uncouth gesture of yours." A sheepish grin flashed across her face even as Byakuya sharpened his leer. "Such words are unbecoming. Honestly, Haru, if you were going to insult him, could you not have come up with something classier?"

"Gomenasai," she said, still smiling.

"I suggest you refrain from using such gestures in the future."

"Hai." By the time he finished, Haru had grown used to the dull ache racing through her wounded arm. She flinched slightly as he tied it off and rose to his feet, giving her a look that told her plainly to follow. Sword in hand, Haru fulfilled his silent request, her eyes clouded yet elated. She endured the questioning looks of the students, delivered a smile to Reiko, and faltered when she was suddenly taken by the shoulders. She found herself staring with the bewildered kidou instructor, who seemed to be examining her for one reason or another.

"Byakuya-sama, this girl is truly remarkable. Where did you stumble on such a gem, and why don't I remember her face?" Haru gave him an apologetic look, seeing the frustration in his gaze as he turned around.

"She never went to the academy. This is only her second day here."

"What?" he inquired rather loudly, piercing Haru with a gaze of disbelief. "You mean to say you learned how to fire gatsutaihou on your own?"

"Not on my own…" she said, attempting to take a step back.

"Tell me, how far up have you learned? I must know…" Haru threw Byakuya a pleading look, but he either didn't notice or he had no intention of saving her.

"I… I can go as high as sixty-four without the incantation…"

"Nani?" he cried in disbelief, turning to the rather perturbed looking Kuchiki heir. "Doesn't that make her better than you are?"

"Ano… I didn't mean…"

"I need to borrow her. Now." Despite her victory, Haru suddenly wished she would have let the arrancar kill her, or at least knock her out; anything was better than the unbearable threat lingering in those stone-colored eyes. "I've never heard anyone talk about kidou that way. She seems like she would be rather handy to have…"

"She is," he replied icily, "but I require her assistance with the unusually large amount of paperwork sitting on my desk. Perhaps some other time."

"Of course!" Shimori replied, bowing his head. "At your convenience, Byakuya-sama… if you ever tire of her presence, do not hesitate to send her my way."

"I will consider it." Not wanting to stretch their stay out any longer, Haru scurried after him.

"Nice shot, Shinjin-san." He was wearing a cocky grin, his hand raised.

"I have a name, you know… it's Tokazawa Miharu," she called over her shoulder, matching her steps with those of her superior.

"Watabe Toshio!"

"Hajimimashite!" The conversation ended when she disappeared around the door's frame, following Byakuya as close as she dared. She could still feel him seething no thanks to Shimori's comment regarding her superiority. _Gods save my soul… he's going to kill me._

"Haru," he said, stepping aside as several high-ranking shinigami rushed to investigate.

"Hai?" Byakuya sat down and began pulling on his sandals, motioning for Haru to sit beside him with his gaze. She leaned her sword beside her and engaged in the same activity, trying to appear as engrossed as possible. After some time of silence, she dared to look at him, but seeing the stone cold glimmer in his eyes, Haru quickly thrust her own in any direction but his own.

"When exactly did you plan to mention the now all too obvious fact that Aizen is targeting you?"

"Is that what you're mad about?" Her voice was soft, cautious, distant… all things that drew Byakuya's gaze to the young girl sitting beside him. She stopped pretending to be absorbed in the fine art of pulling her sandals on. The nutmeg-colored tendrils hanging at the side of her face denied him access to those violet eyes. "I'll leave, then. I understand; you are already standing close enough to danger as it is. You don't need me to take you closer. It sure was nice, though…" Haru showed the sun an empty smile as she raised her head, relishing the way its rays darted across her skin. "Last night… it was the first time I've slept that deeply since my mother died. Even so, it can't be helped."

"Didn't I just say we were going back to the office?" Haru's reflections ended with those words, as did her idea that she was now homeless. Once Byakuya began in a predetermined direction, she followed him more closely than she had been, her eyes full of a thousand questions and just as many pains.

"So… you're not angry?"

"I never said that," Byakuya returned. "You have withheld important information from me, something I do not take very lightly. It isn't just your predicament concerning Aizen, but also your unwillingness to inform me of your abilities regarding kidou."

"That isn't very fair," Haru interjected, faltering slightly as those gray eyes flashed in her direction. "You never asked about my abilities as a shinigami, Byakuya-sama; you merely assumed, as most people do, that because I carry a wooden sword, I am entirely useless when it comes to physically defending myself or whoever else happens to be in the vicinity."

"You are making unfair assumptions that have no base in reality."

"Then let's be completely honest, Byakuya-sama." Haru stopped walking, her eye sharpening considerably when the captain turned to face her. "This isn't about kidou. It's about your pride, isn't it?" How she knew the root of his anger was beyond him entirely. The way she held her sword spoke of innocence, but her gaze uttered far darker things. "I have no intention of showing you up in any manner, and if you feel I have affronted your pride as a noble or as a shinigami, then I apologize." Haru bowed her head to emphasize that point, raising her eyes to briefly study his reaction; like her gaze, his own was unchanging. "But know this," she stated, raising her head once she perceived his understanding. "I have pride of my own. It may not be a noble's pride, it may not even be a shinigami's pride, but it is still a pride I see value in defending, even if only a few sparse shards of it remain."

Raw determination overcame her gaze, the one that drew the slightest traces of awe into his expression. More or less, it was more the fact that a girl as young as she was could possess determination of such a high magnitude that surprised him. "Tell me, then, why Aizen is after your blood."

"Who knows," she responded, shrugging her shoulders. "I don't really think it matters much. He takes me far too lightly to come down here and do the job himself, so until then, I don't have to worry about it."

"Your secrecy is vexing, and your indifference is dangerous." Haru's hands relaxed their grip on her zanpakutoh, her eyes glassy at the ambiguity of his words. "That aside, gatsutaihou is one of my favorite hadou. To see someone as young as you fire it without suffering the entirety of its recoil tells me you are some kind of prodigy."

"I'm no prodigy. It took me months to learn gatsutaihou."

"But it takes most years." The shock in Haru's gaze was amplified by a continuation of the quasi-praise he was showering her with. "Additionally, I must admit that I have never heard anyone speak as beautifully about kidou as you did today." For a moment, she imagined a ghost of a smile cross his lips, but it may very well have been her imagination. "Well done, Haru." Byakuya's scarf waved at the paralyzed girl as he continued on, peering over his shoulder only once to observe her motionless state. "Are you coming?"

"Hai!" she responded immediately, bowing to hide the frustrated blush that for some reason made its way into her face. "Ano… Byakuya-sama…"

"Nandesuka?"

"May I ask how long it took you to learn gatsutaihou?"

"Seven months." Byakuya erected a silent wall between them, hoping it would probe her into making a reply. When she said nothing, he added, "Why do you ask?"

"I was merely curious."

"It took you less time, didn't it?"

"No, no… it took me nine months." His accusing gaze brought to life the proud smile she was trying vainly to hide. "All right, all right… it only took me six and a half. Does that please you?"

"It would please me more if you were honest. At least then, I could take pride in knowing my guest trusts me enough to speak the truth when asked."

"You don't need to worry about that, Byakuya-sama," Haru stated, darting past the sixth division captain and whirling suddenly around to face him. "If I didn't trust you, would I still be following you?"

"A valid point," he remarked, passing her again, stopping as he felt the subtle brush of her fingers against his scarf. He couldn't help but raise a brow as he threw a glare over his shoulder at the young woman clutching his prized family heirloom. "What are you doing, Haru?"

"Gomenasai. It just… looked really soft." He peered intently at her for a few moments, watching with fascination as she examined the garment.

"Are you going to let go?"

"Hai!" she cried, leaping several meters back and bowing her head in apology. Nodding his head, Byakuya took up his original path with Haru following at a distance, still muttering sincere apologies every few minutes just to break up the silence. When they finally returned to the door marked with his division's number, they entered to find the empty room just as they left it. To Byakuya's relief, the paperwork had not multiplied during his brief yet eventful absence.

"Let's get to work, Haru." She gave him a quizzical look in response, as if she had no idea what he was referring to.

"Does that mean you were serious about letting me help? I thought it was just an excuse to spare me whatever rigors Shimori-sensei was planning to put me through."

"Do not take my requests lightly, Haru. Even I am wise enough to acknowledge the importance of good help." Seating himself behind his desk, his stony midnight eyes peered at the bewildered girl standing just beyond the threshold. "You seem to know the system, Haru… now, get to work."

"As you say, Byakuya-sama." Haru propped her sword up in the corner, wondering when she would wake up from this strange yet comforting dream. The dull pain in her shoulder, a reminder that it was no dream, welled up into an excruciating throb that caused her head to spin, but as usual, she masked her physical discomfort and did as she was told. Byakuya worked on one stack of papers while Haru busied herself organizing those that had already been looked over. Since it took far less time to glance at the right corner of each document than it did to read it in its entirety, Haru soon caught up with the captain and began organizing the papers he hadn't even done yet. All the while, they worked in silence as the stack of papers on his desk gradually shrank.

The shadows stretched across the floor as the sun crossed the sky, which turned red long before either of them acknowledged the other's presence. Other than the occasional glance, having Haru there was almost like having a second pair of hands. "Are you getting tired, Haru?" Byakuya inquired when he saw her stretch slightly, wincing and putting a hand to the wound in her right arm. "You may take a break if you so desire."

"Iie… I'm fine. Besides, I only have one more stack to go through." Byakuya glanced at the two stacks remaining on his desk before eyeing the one she just started going through. Intense focus filled every nook of her expression, her hands moving deliberately and with the same concentration that flickered across her violet eyes. A moment passed as the Kuchiki heir mused over her ardor and her obvious contentment.

_She almost seems to enjoy this sort of thing. _Haru glanced up at him briefly, studying the manner of his observation before returning her full concentration to the task at hand. _Her presence isn't overbearing or bothersome, even if she is a little bold at times, and as long as her emotions do not disrupt her logic, she seems to think things through fully before taking them on._ The words on the form in his hand blurred as his remaining focus scattered and he raised a thoughtful hand to his chin. _She insists that she is no noble, yet I still see it clearly when I look into her eyes. If she is no noble, what is she, then?_

"Byakuya-sama."

"Hai?"

"I have finished organizing the papers." He made a sound to acknowledge her, having thrust his full attention towards the form in his hand. "Is there anything else you would like me to do?"

"You've done quite enough, Haru. Please be patient while I finish looking over these."

"Do you mind if I go somewhere?" Byakuya glanced at her over the form in his hand. "I promise I won't go far, and I should be back in about fifteen minutes."

"Where are you going?"

"It's a secret," she said with a bold smile, bounding to the corner to retrieve her zanpakutoh. Once she collected it, Haru disappeared from sight, her reiatsu dimming to an indiscernible level after a few moments silent solitude.

"Baka…" he muttered, raising a hand to his head. "I never said you could leave." Byakuya mentally recanted his prior thoughts regarding the violet-eyed girl, including the one about her possessing noble blood. For some reason, her absence distracted him more than her presence did. Being unused to such things, the Kuchiki heir found it difficult to concentrate on the remaining forms. Even so, he muddled through several of them before a pair of footsteps and the subtle presence of her reiatsu signaled her return.

"I'm back." Haru's call drew his attention away from his paperwork yet again, especially when she entered the room carrying her sword as she always did, but with a paper bag hanging on her right arm.

"What is that?"

"I thought you might be hungry, so I went and got us dinner." Curiosity drew him from his seat as the girl seated herself, kneeling indifferently on the hardwood floor while silently analyzing his reaction. Wordlessly, she handed him two cups, one smaller than the other, and a pair of disposable chopsticks. Byakuya questioned her with his gaze, peeling the lid off of the top one and raising a brow at the smell of green tea no where near the quality of that which he was used to drinking.

"Do you actually expect me to drink this?"

"I lived off of this for two years for the most part. I think you can stand it for one night." Haru had already started on her own meal, slurping the noodles from the cup as Byakuya watched in amazement.

"What is it?"

"Just eat it," she retorted. He peeled the lid off of his own cup, prodding its contents for a moment before attempting to lift one of the noodles from its container. Finding it impossible, the nobleman attempted to copy Haru's tactic only to find it more difficult than she made it look. She couldn't help but laugh at his bewildered expression as he relinquished his efforts and tentatively ate the noodle in pieces, and the hint of pleasure dancing in his eyes as the full flavor struck him. "It's not bad, is it?"

"It's delicious. What is this dish?"

"Just ramen," Haru responded, feeding another lengthy noodle into her mouth. "I saw a noodle stand while we were heading towards the academy, and for some reason, I've been craving it ever since, though… to think the noble Kuchiki Byakuya would compliment such a simple, low-class dish is rather unbelievable."

"It's difficult to eat."

"But that's half the fun of it." Byakuya weighed the taste against the difficulty of consumption and at last settled on devouring his meal. "It's not too spicy, is it?"

"Of course not."

"Then you do enjoy spicy foods?"

"To make an assumption based on a single meal was rather dangerous."

"The harm is already done, I'm afraid," Haru answered, tilting the cup and ingesting the broth that was obstructing her view of the cup's remaining contents. "If there even was any. You seem to be enjoying it."

"I will condescendingly admit that it has a unique taste and requires strangely complicated methods to enjoy. Is this a custom of your class, Haru?"

"You could say that." She took a pensive swallow of her tea, casting her eyes at the shadows plastered on the far wall. "When you live alone, supported only by a small stipend provided by the final wills of your parents, it's a welcome change to eat anything besides this stuff. Every now and then, some miracle would provide me with the time and financial resources to eat a real meal." Gazing at her own reflection in the tea, Haru breathed a grievous sigh, disturbing the surface and effectively wiping out all traces of her likeness. "I suppose the memories are still too near for me to forget, or to even properly reminisce about."

"Haru?" he asked.

"Gomenasai, Byakuya-sama." She shifted her hands slightly, still refusing to give him the gaze he so desperately wanted. "Even now, I can feel myself growing dependent on you. Please forgive me, and please… for the gods' sakes, keep me at a distance like you have every other worthwhile thing in your life, even if I mean nothing to you." The silence was unbelievably stifling, made even more rigid by the clear pain tainting her otherwise placid reiatsu. When he could stand it no longer, he set his meal aside and turned his full attention to her, sensing that same doleful air that, roughly twenty-four hours earlier, signified her need to discuss her ordeal.

"Gochisou sama deshita," he murmured, rising from his place and placing himself between the girl and the wall she was so fascinated with. A gentle hand forced her gaze upward; as expected, those violet eyes were flooded with tears. "Why are you crying, Haru? Does your arm hurt?"

"The memories… are painful." Trouble fluttered across her gaze, weightless yet nearly tangible. "Sunsets will be difficult for a long time. Please forgive me for my lack of composure."

"Why?"

"They're red," she responded, "like so many of my memories." As gently as she could, Haru pushed his hand away with her own, trying desperately to stay afloat in the sudden flood of unpleasant recollections. "I don't want you suffering because of me. I don't want you going out of your way for me, either." A shadow fell over her eyes as her head dropped in a desperate attempt to hide her tears unshed. "I know I'm not even worthy of standing in your shadow, but… do you think, just for now, that you could listen to me when I need to talk?"

Byakuya tried vainly to fight the pity welling up inside of him. How long had she been fighting the tears she now unwillingly shed in his presence? How many more was she holding back? They were questions that remained unanswered, for they lacked relevance entirely at the moment. His sympathy for the emotionally wrought girl vied with his rationale in an epic yet unseen battle that resulted in the victory of the former. "Very well." Those two words were all it took to summon her gaze, which looked particularly violet against the falling rays of the sun. "If you wish to talk, you may come to me, but I will only listen when it will not cause me any inconveniences. Is that understood?"

She didn't answer for a moment; she simply bowed her head and wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. When that black shield drifted away, the sorrow had scattered, replaced by a smile that still held traces of her tears. "Hai." Nodding his head at the sudden change in her emotions, he watched her as she gathered the litter their meal had produced and stepped towards the door. "I'll be back after I dispose of this." Once Haru's silhouette disappeared, Byakuya seated himself behind his desk, flipping through a few of the forms to make sure they were organized properly; it was too troublesome for him to check while he was looking them over, for it would have divided his attention.

"Not a single form out of place," he murmured, rising from his seat when he sensed her approach. He intercepted her at the door. "We're going, Haru."

"But… don't you need to finish…"

"There is always tomorrow. Besides, I worked through a majority of it today." Nodding in understanding, Haru followed him through the darkening streets, guided only by the glisten of the moon on his kenseiken. She felt weary, both physically from the kidou and mentally by the mundane yet somewhat entertaining task of organizing the mountain of paperwork, but it was just the sort of heavy fatigue that made her easy for sleep to capture.

* * *

...and I would make sure Byakuya got more screen time... oh, and Ichigo wouldn't suck as much as he does now... in fact, he would actually be useful again, and... oh, you finished. ' Wow... another relatively lengthy chapter... I really need to learn how to write shorter. At least I sort of made up for it by writing a really short A/N at the beginning. A little note about that peculiar hadou before I move on... I sort of made it up. I don't pretend to know what hadou no nyuujuusan (ninety-three) is. I just thought it sounded spiffy... oh, and gatsutaihou translates to moon cannon... I just took the "no" out of the middle. Hooray for creative license allowing me to botch a foreign language more than I already have! excitement Now for your Japanese lesson of the day: 

Nani : What

Daijoubu desu ka : Are you all right

Iie : No

Arigato-gonzaimasu : Formal thanks

Gomenasai : Formal apology

Hai : Yes

Shinjin-san : Since Shinjin means rookie (according to Babelfish/Google), it's a somewhat mocking name for someone... at least, I think so.

Hajimimashite : Pleased to meet you (no, not meat, _meet_... stupid typo demons... smites them all)

Ano : Japanese equivalent of the boring, dull, American "Um"

Nandesuka : What is it

Gochisou sama deshita : Thanks for the meal (said after a meal... of course .;)

I really need to cut back on the Japanese, don't I? ; Gomenasai... but it's just too much fun to use. Welp, until next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5: Burdens

A/N (from yours truly): Oh me gee... I am so sorry about the ridiculous length of this chapter. Please don't hate me... retreats to corner just in case I thought about splitting this one up, but there was no point. At least, I didn't think there was, and since I'm the author, I'm always right! (kidding, of course) So anyway, here's chapter five, and unfortunately, I have a moderately long a/n before you actually get there. You see, there's this fanfiction author, but it's not me, and she happens to be leaving town for a few days. She will be back in 2008, hopefully with a couple of chapters she writes during her 3-day Farewell '07 Fest. Until then, she truly hopes her fans will continue to be supportive and enjoy the following chapter! ...Alright, I admit it, it was me. ' Nonetheless, you should enjoy the chapter. The feedback I have received so far has been a great motivator. Thank you to all, especially to pichenette for being my biggest fan and Kaen.No.Shinigami for pointing out a little typo in chapter 4 (See? English majors are far from perfect, even at writing... ). Thanks again for all your support! I 3 you all! And without further ado, here's the chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 5: Burdens _

_Not again,_ Haru thought, stirring at the uncomfortable sensation of Byakuya's fingers trailing along her back. Her eyes shot open, delivered a silent warning, and then fell shut again. Still, he persisted, his own gaze made obscure by the dark lashes surrounding them. Even if she couldn't see his eyes, she could plainly tell he was amused by her vain attempts to keep from clinging to him. "Byakuya-sama… stop…" she managed. To her great relief, his hand withdrew, leaving her to her thoughts of how exactly she wound up in his bed for the second night in a row. _That's right… when we came back last night, I was relatively stable, but somewhere between finishing my bath and returning to my own room, I got a little light-headed, probably from the kidou. Did I… pass out, or did I just stagger in here? _

"You're making a habit out of this, Haru," Byakuya said with a suddenness that caused her to jolt. "I don't mind your company, but this is a bit ridiculous." She was too tired to apologize, let alone argue with him. Still, she wasn't about to abandon the warmth on account of his opinions. A doze was slowly working over her again until a rather mortifying realization struck her, helped along by the sound of the Kuchiki heir's steady heartbeat: she was still huddled flush against his chest. Her remaining fragments of unconsciousness scattered as Haru attempted to leap backwards. Instead, she wound up on the floor, tangled up in the blankets of her host's futon. A pained hiss escaped her as her back and right shoulder were jarred by the fall. "You're not hurt, are you?" he asked, tilting his head to examine the wad of blankets sprawled out on the floor.

"Not… seriously." It was around that time Haru realized her hair had yet again been uncooperative during her hours of unconsciousness. With a trembling hand, she smoothed the lengthy nutmeg-colored strands away from her eyes, which she shifted immediately towards her clearly amused host. "If you don't want me in here, just say so. It's not like you have to let me stay." His observation continued as she began to wrestle with the stubborn blankets that currently limited her movement, but before her wrestling match with said bedding could get underway, she heard the knock at the door that signified the arrival of the morning's tea.

"Ohayo-gonzaimasu Kuchiki-sama, Tokazawa-san." The servant was trying hard not to laugh, especially at the helpless-looking Haru that was tangled in a cocoon of blankets. "I have brought your tea."

"Much obliged," Haru retorted, pulling herself into a sitting position and managing to free her upper half from the restricting blankets. After giving the bewildered girl a discreet yet mischievous smirk, the servant exited the room, closing the door before abandoning that corridor all together. Frustration lingered in her silvery gaze until Byakuya waved a cup of steaming tea in front of her face, which she gratefully took and began sipping. "Honestly, if you don't want me here, you could just throw me out."

"A valid point," he responded in his usual monotone. Her silvery eyes shifted to him when he left the remainder of his words for silence to speak.

"Then why don't you?"

"I haven't decided yet." Scoffing gently, she pushed her hair behind her ear and fixed her eyes on the reflection in the cup.

_What a troublesome man,_ Haru thought, _letting me sleep in here when I could just as easily sleep in the next room. Is it some kind of game to him? _Discretely, she fixed her gaze on the sixth division captain, who was at the moment sipping tea calmly and gazing out the window at the slowly paling sky. "Have you already forgotten?" Puzzled gray eyes locked on her own as she set her tea cup down and folded her hands in her lap, the violet flashing vividly in them as there was no barrier between her gaze and that of the Kuchiki heir. "I told you to keep me at a distance; it will become troublesome otherwise."

"You are such a still sleeper, I hardly know you're there. I do not find it troublesome."

"I meant for me," she retorted, finishing her tea and setting the cup on the tray. "You recall our first meeting; I believe I mentioned something about you being distant and keeping everything you hold dear at an arm's length. It's the same way for me, Byakuya-sama."

"So I'm… precious to you?" The trace of amusement in his voice was mocking, almost to the point of stirring her temper, but she resisted the temptation to let her anger off its leash in favor of a more pragmatic reply.

"Don't be so presumptuous," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "I've known you for three days. What gave you such a ridiculous idea?"

"Perhaps if you were not such a frequent visitor to my room, I would not jump to such conclusions." Something in his tone drew a mortified heat to her cheeks; taken out of context, it would almost sound like… "Besides, telling you to leave did no good last night. You were rather ardent in expressing your desires to remain here." Bewilderment flashed across her gaze, found his in the half-light of the morning. His eyes were calm as they always were, but something subtle was stirring beneath that stoic mask of his. "You simply wound not take no for an answer, so I obliged… again. Have you forgotten already how you beseeched me to let you stay? You said you would do anything…" With every word, the crimson mark of embarrassment grew deeper. These final words sent her darting back under the covers, holding them firmly over her head in an attempt to hide from whatever more he had to say.

"Whatever I said, I take it back!" she cried from beneath them. "Did you ever once think it may have been my fatigue talking?" Byakuya wrestled the blankets off of her, his eyes and face as stoic as always, but a hint of a smile played on his lips as he gazed down at the befuddled girl.

"Relax, Haru. It was merely a joke."

"A… joke?" she echoed. Suddenly, the fiery indignity in her eyes turned to icy venom. She buried her blushing face in the pillow, protesting every ounce of his presence with a furious silence… until a finger raced steadily along her spine. Gasping at the unannounced sensation, she tightened her grip on the pillow to regain her composure before turning onto her side to examine her host. "You're cruel."

"How so?"

"You act serious all the time, yet you tease me this early in the morning when I am only half-conscious. You let me sleep beside you twice without saying whether or not it bothers you. As if that weren't enough, you insist on taking advantage of my weakest point when I have my back turned in a manner of speaking." His gaze remained unaffected by her words; soon after, her own frustration drew her into a sitting position. "I told you it felt strange so you would cease and desist, not so you would continue to torment me."

"Very well; I shall tell you the truth about last night." Haru's gaze clearly conveyed her disbelief in his sincerity, but when Byakuya spoke a moment later, he delivered precisely what he said he would. "Around the time I finished my observation of the moon, you entered without knocking. I could see you were either sleeping or relatively close to it, so when you laid down and set your glasses aside, I simply let you. The only question is, was it an error of judgment on your part, or did you purposely invade my bedroom for the second night in a row?"

"I can assure you, it was entirely unintentional, Byakuya-sama. Gomenasai; it won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." For some reason, his words cut her deeply, so much so that she visibly winced at them. Instead of allowing him the gratification of seeing the pain in her eyes, Haru turned them immediately to the floor, hiding behind a curtain of hair. "Breakfast is in fifteen minutes, Haru. I suggest you get dressed."

"Hai." Wordlessly, she collected her sword, her glasses, and the restraint for her hair before crossing the room swiftly and closing the door behind her, mentally kicking herself for not being alert enough to know where she had been going. The only way she could cope is by thrusting the entirety of her attention on dressing, which took her mind off of things if only for a moment. Walking was difficult since she had nothing to focus on save the sword in her hands, and breakfast would have brought a welcome relief had it not been for his presence. Silence dominated their meal, their trek to the office, and their workday. Other than several routine interruptions the sixth division captain seemed used to dealing with, the day all in all passed without event.

As with the previous day, Haru finished far before Byakuya had a chance to examine all the papers. Once she had, she meandered dolefully to her corner and seated herself, resting her zanpakutoh in the crook of her arm and folding her hands in her lap. Her silvery-violet eyes disappeared behind their lids, a look of downcast yet intense concentration overcoming her expression. Roughly two hours remained of his usual workday, which Haru looked forward to if only for the sole purpose of isolating herself from him. _It's three o'clock now, _she thought, glancing discreetly at the clock before shutting her eyes again. _Only two more hours… maybe two and a half if he is required to deepen his observation. _Haru glanced at the clock again after she deemed a considerable amount of time had elapsed: three o' four… time wasn't moving anywhere near fast enough.

"Is something troubling you?" Jarred out of her concentration by these sudden words, Haru glanced at him, seeing that he hadn't even looked away from the form he was examining. "You haven't said a word all day."

"I know," she replied softly. "I'm just trying not to inconvenience you more than I already have." Steely eyes peered at her briefly, catching in her tone a hint of resentment mingled with the sorrow. Her expression remained unchanged despite the sentimental details that accompanied her words. With a half sigh, Byakuya lowered the form he was examining to turn his full scrutiny to the young girl sitting in the corner.

"In all fairness, I was only doing what you insisted I do this morning, or have you forgotten your wish that I keep you at an arm's length?" Haru's gaze dropped at his words and the overwhelmingly agonizing ring of truth in them. The nobleman was right; it was what she had asked, and as such, the only person she had any right in being angry with was herself. As she analyzed these details, Byakuya returned to his paperwork, forcing his full attention onto the black and white form lingering only a foot and a half from his eyes.

"Gomenasai." The apology drew his attention, but only momentarily. "I'm being troublesome, I know, but I can't help it. I don't know what to do or think anymore, Byakuya-sama. The truth is, when I said you were distant when we first met, I only said it because I knew you were, and I only knew you were because I was. Like you, I kept everything precious to me, every insignificant thing I should have held on to for dear life… I kept it all at a distance, hoping that it would hurt less to lose it in the long run. The truth of the matter is I only wound up hurting more; not only did I lose those precious things, but I never truly got to enjoy them while I still could have held on to them." Determined to carry on in this line of thought, whether aloud or silent, Haru raised her gaze, seeing that Byakuya was listening intently despite the sparse number of forms that lingered on his desk, begging to be looked over. "If I ever got close to those things, I think I would hurt them more than keeping them at a distance hurt me, though."

"So?"

"So… I think I would rather be the one to shoulder the burden."

"What a naïve line of thinking," Byakuya responded, resting his chin in his hand as he studied the bewildered girl through his thick lashes. "Burdens are always lighter when they are shared."

"You seem to handle your own just fine by yourself."

"I am the captain of the sixth division and the head of the Kuchiki clan; I am therefore obligated for shouldering the collective problems of both groups. My own burdens weigh nothing compared to them." A hint of Haru's sorrow drifted away with those words as she inwardly turned her focus towards them. Having contented her with his response, Byakuya returned to his paperwork, finishing without further interruption on Haru's part. Once he glanced over a stack to make sure she had done her job properly, he rose from his seat. The subtle sound of his stirring brought Haru's eyes back into view. "We're going."

"Hai." Byakuya inwardly sighed with relief; she seemed more jovial now that the silence between them was broken. Still, a trace of thought lingered with her, even as they made their way back towards the Kuchiki estate. Their walk was passed in the same silence that had separated them during the greater part of the day… the same, but different. There was no tension in it; only a mutual understanding that Haru was in thought and should thus not be bothered. She habitually closed the door behind him, glancing at the captain over her shoulder, casting a rather blatant eager gaze in his direction that expanded when he returned it. "Byakuya-sama, let's have a fight."

The request was simple enough to understand, but he couldn't stop the look of bewilderment that spread over his face as he worked to rid himself of his sandals. "I beg your pardon?"

"I know it sounds strange, but I just have this sudden urge to swing a sword and feel resistance as it slams into that of the one I am fighting."

"You would not last ten seconds against me."

"Even so, it might be fun. We still have some time before dinner if I am not mistaken." Haru turned to him with a smile, the golden ribbon swaying slightly, her hands clutching her wooden sword in a manner that made her look even more innocent. Something about her violet eyes, piercing him with untold heaps of eagerness, managed to rub him the wrong way.

"Are you suggesting that you, Tokazawa Miharu, a child with no breeding and no standing in the thirteen divisions, could best me, Kuchiki Byakuya, a nobleman with captain status and decades more experience than yourself, in the fine art of kenjutsu?"

"I didn't mean it that way, but if that's how you interpret it…" That's when Byakuya saw it, the facet in those silvery-violet eyes that caused him slight discomfort and sent his pride into an uproar. It was a challenge, and not just any challenge, but one backed by determination to obtain victory and the self-confidence that she would undoubtedly do so. His rationale told him that it was no match at all, but his pride couldn't cope with Haru's confidence threatening to overshadow it.

"Very well, but know that I gave you fair warning." His scarf waved to Haru as he spun around, pacing decisively in the direction he selected. She followed wordlessly, scrutinizing each trace of scorn that seeped through his relatively composed steps. "I will explain the rules while we are walking, so listen closely, Haru: we will hold three rounds and alternate taking up the offensive or defensive. Since you are the guest here, I am giving you the right to choose which stance you would rather take up first. Whoever lands a blow on their opponent's body first will win the round, and whoever wins two of the three rounds will win the match. We will be using wooden swords to duel, and I'm disallowing kidou simply because I do not wish to destroy my own house. Otherwise, any method of avoiding the blade will be suitable, including physical attacks to the opponent's body." Wordlessly, he pulled the door of a particular building open, revealing an empty, spacious room with a wooden floor that reminded Haru of a dojo. "Do you have any questions, Haru?"

"Just one. Can I use this sword?" She held out her zanpakutoh, eyes following Byakuya as he propped his senbonzakura against the wall and opened a nearby closet, where numerous wooden swords happened to be stored. He considered it for a moment, relishing this golden opportunity to completely crush the girl who so carelessly wounded his pride with her kidou abilities and her challenging gaze. To defeat a newly-arrived shinigami with a wooden sword while she herself was using her zanpakutoh would be a most utter and complete loss.

"If you so desire." Byakuya selected his weapon of choice, which bore remarkable similarities to Haru's own sword, and crossed the room. "Do you wish to defend or attack first?"

"I believe I shall defend," she replied, taking up her ready stance. Byakuya had to bite back a victorious smile; attacking happened to be his strongest point. "I am ready, Byakuya-sama." He crossed the room on quick, light steps, nearing Haru until he could see the violet in her eyes. Then, he disappeared from view. _Shunpo!_ her mind screamed, but the warning was too late. A fierce strike landed against her right shoulder; the force of the blow was enough to throw her back against a wall. Clutching her arm, she bit back a cry of pain and sank to the floor, quivering slightly as beads of cold sweat formed on her skin.

"As I said, you could not last ten seconds against me." When Haru attempted to throw a competitive glare at him, she found herself looking at his back, at the roku character on his captain's haori. "Rise and prepare to attack… that is, if you can. Your arm has not yet fully healed from yesterday's battle." Her gaze vanished for a moment as she bowed her head to gather the scattered fragments of her determination. "It is not too late to surrender…"

"Over my dead body." Frustrated with her own blindness, Haru rammed the tip of her sword into the floor with enough force to aid her in rising. Her breathing was still unsteady, and she staggered under her own weight for a moment before taking up her ready position again. "I'm sick and damn tired of you underestimating me just because I carry a wooden sword. Even after yesterday, I can see you still don't take me seriously." She drove her furious gaze into the nobleman, who was a bit taken aback by the fury coursing through her normally passive violet gaze. "Byakuya-sama, know this… I can tolerate your silent underestimation of me, your looking down on me as a subordinate, even your subtle way of teasing me, but don't you _dare_ walk on my pride."

"Are you going to talk, or are you going to fight?" Taking it as meaning he was ready, Haru vanished from sight only to reappear a moment later at his left. Anticipating that move, the Kuchiki heir directed his swing in her general direction only to have her counter it with surprising force. She pushed his weapon away before vanishing again, appearing this time at his right. Again, Haru blocked the blow that was aimed for her shoulder, wincing at the pressure but enduring the discomfort. Having never seen his eyes that close, or that fierce, she found Byakuya's proximity most discomforting. This time, it was he that forced her back, but she blocked the hit with ease. They exchanged blows, circling each other decisively, searching for any trace of an opening.

Haru somehow managed to move around his latest attempt at striking her again. _He's so troublesome… the most troublesome man I ever met..._ The sound of his sword colliding with hers, and the force that accompanied it, reminded her that she had no time to consider such things at the moment. _Make that troublesome and more brutal than Sensei ever was during training…_

"You're open." Shunpu saved her from another unpleasant collision, but Byakuya's eyes followed her, and he swung again only to find his opponent's sword. Despite blocking the hit while she was upside-down, Haru managed to land in a crouch, disappearing as Byakuya's sword followed her and reappearing a short distance away.

"If you were so pissed off about me being able to use kidou, then why did you praise me the way you did yesterday? What was the point?" Haru clenched her jaw as her sword was jarred by his own.

"Watch your tongue, girl." Byakuya's warning was clear in his gaze as Haru's was in her eyes, but she didn't remain close for long. She somehow managed to shift her weight so she was able to push him back again. He was relentless in his attacks; after regaining his own footing, Byakuya rushed forward again, fully intending to end the match with a horizontal swing, but he found his strike blocked by a forceful kick to the hands that held the sword, made even more powerful by the way Haru followed through with the spin. She saw her opening and took it, tapping him hard enough on the shoulder with the end of her sword to make him realize his mistake.

Composure drowned the fury that welled up within her and threatened to claim her reason. Discomforted by the totality of Byakuya's wrath and amazement, which burned so clearly in the blue-black eyes that Haru could almost feel her body ignite, she turned away from him and crossed the room, gasping for breath from the effort she was putting forth. Her hair was beginning to come loose, her glasses clouded over with the heat of her own body, and her face was drenched in sweat. He seemed to be affected by them as well; his obsidian hair, usually so tidy, was slightly askew, and although her host was not struggling for breath as she was, a light coating of perspiration covered his forehead.

"Byakuya-sama," she said suddenly in a tone that served to augment his mild bewilderment at Haru's ability to create and utilize an opening, "I don't suppose you're much of a gambler, are you?"

He failed to hold back the scoff that preceded his response. "What a pointless question to ask in the middle of a match."

"Really, now? I always think it's fun to raise the stakes when I find myself tied with my opponent. It gives us both the motivation to fight with everything we have, even at the end." Slowly, Byakuya's fury gave way to a quizzical scrutiny of the fatigued yet still determined Haru. "There is no pride in partial victory; there is no victory in partial effort. My Sensei once told me that, and I delight more and more everyday in the truth of those words, especially since he hardly ever spoke seriously." Some memory must have brought the thoughtful smile back to her face. Sighing heavily, Byakuya wiped the sweat from his forehead and studied his opponent. It was like reliving his fight with Ichigo, hearing the unexpected utterance of the word "Bankai," learning that the law was the only thing the brazen teen intended to fight.

"What are the terms?" he asked after a silent moment of deliberation.

"If I win, you reveal to me the purpose of yesterday's praise, and additionally, I ask that you explain to me your true sentiments regarding my nasty little habit of keeping you company while you're sleeping."

"Does it matter?"

"It does to me," Haru replied. "The desire for those answers will drive my sword forward, and I will give every ounce of effort I possess to have them delivered." He tried to wrap his mind around it, tried vainly to find whatever significance Haru saw in those answers, but it was impossible to argue with her. She had already taken up her ready stance.

"As you wish, but I ask a favor of you if I win, the details of which I will disclose after dinner."

"Why would you choose to wait until then? Are you afraid you will lose?" she quipped.

"Quite the opposite; my victory is as certain as the moon's cycle. I am simply using your own device against you." Haru looked a little puzzled by his response, so he proceeded to explain. "If you defeat me, you will obtain the answers you seek, but at a price: you will never know what favor I planned to ask of you, and that question will remain unanswered for the remainder of our correspondence." A dilemma flickered across her gaze, posed undoubtedly by the explanation he provided her with. "Now that you understand, allow me to finish this." Byakuya vanished from sight, reappearing directly behind her with a raised sword. Before he could lower it, Haru turned to him, violet eyes blazing with that raw determination she had shown the arrancar just before implementing her kidou. He lowered it with all the speed and force he could muster, allowing a hint of victory to creep into his gaze. It was undoubtedly over.

If the Kuchiki heir showed any ounce of surprise when Haru's foot knocked the hand holding his sword away earlier, then it paled in comparison to the incredulity that overwhelmed his expression when a metallic flash shot through the air, severing his weapon with an ease no wooden sword would possess. Skillfully, Haru knocked the severed portion of his sword away with the sheath in her right hand while resting the blade of the sword in her left upon his shoulder. Byakuya fumbled with his words, his eyes moving down the long, silver, slightly curved blade embedded in the wooden handle of the supposedly wooden sword.

Seeing she had astonished her opponent into a state in which he was incapable of speaking, Haru lowered her sword, allowing the fading sunlight a brief moment of playing on it before sliding it back into its sheath. "There is no pride in partial victory," she said as she turned from him. "There is no victory in partial effort." Once Haru reached the other wall, she seated herself, resting the top of her sword against her shoulder as if she was going to meditate. Instead, she eyed the paralyzed yet clearly furious Kuchiki heir. "In all fairness, I did tell you not to underestimate me, Kuchiki Byakuya. However, the rules you laid forth were rather specific in defining wooden swords as the tools with which we battled. I deceived you into thinking that this was a wooden sword."

Haru fell silent for a moment, wishing desperately that Byakuya's voice would fill the void between them. When he spoke no word of fury or understanding, she continued. "Undoubtedly, this is a terrific affront on your pride, and for that I apologize. I also concede victory to you, Byakuya-sama, because in the end, my success was ascertained on a base composed solely of my cunning. I hope you can forgive me for it." To emphasize her sincerity, Haru bowed her head until it touched the floor, which only served to drown the Kuchiki heir deeper in the ambiguous sea of possible reactions he may have had. She couldn't stop the tremor that ran through her when she heard his footsteps approaching and felt his gaze penetrating the spot between her shoulders. When nothing happened, Haru glanced upward just enough to enable her to comprehend her surroundings.

Byakuya was seated before her, his hands resting in his lap, his eyes not entirely forgiving, but not entirely enraged, either. He gazed at her for a moment, intrigued yet frustrated, before he sent silence fleeing with the only response he could muster. "Raise your head, Tokazawa Miharu," he said at length in his usual stoic tone. "It is time for dinner."

The meal was passed in complete silence that evening; not a single syllable passed between the two of them. Haru's gaze and mind remained fixed on the occupation of nourishment, while Byakuya wavered between various stages of fury, astonishment, and remorse. She only sensed his anger; for some reason, it was easier to shackle and subdue the other two conflicting sentiments. Once dinner was finished, they parted ways as wordlessly as they had passed their meal, each silently hoping that the bath would serve to clear their minds enough for them to make sense of things.

Byakuya had no such luck; the steam massaged his temples, clouded his eyes, and rushed across his ivory skin in a vain attempt to relieve him of his tension, but he was still unable to determine the proper way to deal with his defeat. _I have every right to be furious with her; she intentionally deceived me. _An image forced the correctness of his resentment fleeing from his mind; for some reason, the memory of that smile served to momentarily murder the rightness Byakuya saw in his anger, drawing a labored sigh from his lips as he sunk further into the heated water. He turned his musings to a related matter, the sincerity of her apology. _There seems to be something more in it than regret for acting as she has, but what? What more is she hiding?_

He left the question hanging in his mind, hoping that the steam or the gentle dripping around him would produce an answer, but when none emerged, he deemed the matter pointless and shoved it aside. Finding his thoughts more incoherent than ever, Byakuya left the fluid hands behind, having ascertained only his confusion regarding the matter. _This is pointless… why must I be burdened with her? I of all people, a noble and an emotional recluse… Genryuusai-dono, what was your purpose in making me responsible for her keeping?_ The atmosphere delivered no answers as he removed the water from his skin with a towel and wrapped himself in a sleeping kimono.

He returned to his quarters to find the moon gazing through his window. Only beneath that silvery eye was the troubled sea of his restrained emotions fully quelled and the task of clear thought enabled. He set his mind to the task of sorting through their quarrel bit by bit, grimacing at the remarkable similarity it bore to his loss against Kurosaki Ichigo. Pleased at the absence of any hatred, he stared at the growing orb that adorned the black night sky flecked with stars. The moon's pale glow dispersed every unclear shadow that lurked in his mind, making way for the blinding yet undeniable truth. _She bested me, _he thought, his midnight eyes flashing grimly. _She exploited every weakness I possessed, right down to my narrow-minded assumption of her weakness._ It intrigued him, as much as he hated to admit it, that a mere child could possess such a high capability for reasoning, let alone her ability to utilize every iota of that reasoning in combat. Of course, Byakuya would never utter such thoughts aloud, not even in the solitude of his own quarters; nay, his mind was the only place where he could consult with the truth and escape judgment.

The door to his room slid open, but Byakuya was too deep in thought to hear it close, nor did he seem to notice the quiet shuffle of feet that followed. Sensing the shadow that lurked several steps behind him, the Kuchiki heir turned a single eye in her direction. Still, her gaze avoided his own, even as she set her zanpakutoh beside his futon and seated herself upon it. "In all honesty, Haru, I had no favor to ask of you. That aside, you have wrongly placed the victory in my hands."

"Demo…"

"Iie," Byakuya said sternly, keeping his back to her, feeling her shudder at his tone in spite of not being able to see her. "I granted you the use of your sword in our duel if you recall correctly. If I misjudged the material from which it was constructed, then the fault is not entirely yours."

"Byakuya-sama…"

"Will you still insist that I am the victor, even after I have scattered the shards of my own pride to deliver it unto you?" A trace of anger worked its way into his tone, causing Haru to fall silent altogether. It was an irritating kind of quiet that for some reason rubbed him the wrong way. Wordlessly, the Kuchiki heir turned to her, his clear gaze clouded with uncertainty. He felt himself move forward without telling his body to, kneeling before the violet-eyed girl while seeking any glimpse of that gaze, but she denied him that privilege by keeping her head bent. The two locks of hair she had left unrestrained effectively shielded them from view, as did the reflection of the moon's pale glow off of her glasses.

Haru only stirred when she felt a gentle weight in her lap. Surprised to find Byakuya's head resting there, she tensed every muscle in her body, but his gaze met hers for a moment through a curtain of obsidian hair, effectively killing any restraint she could have mustered. "Byakuya-sama…" she stammered, her voice bewildered.

"If I had managed to attain victory over you, Haru, there is only one thing I could have asked of you." Instinct drove her to silence; she detected in his tone a subtle hint of what came into her own when she felt the dire need to bear her soul. Whether it was his need or her own amazement that kept her quiet was something not even she knew. "Reciprocate the favor you asked of me yesterday. Be the ear I utter into when my own burdens weigh heavily upon me. In my moments of vulnerability, sit with me just like this, and be the reason I keep moving forward."

"But you said your own personal troubles were nothing compared to those of Seireitei and the Kuchiki clan."

"At times, that is true, but there are also times in which weigh more than any burden of duty ever could." Haru considered his words for a moment, trying to find a wound in his normally unshakable pride. No trace of anger seemed to linger in his well-contained reiatsu. Even as he shifted his position to attain a higher level of comfort, even as she glimpsed the midnight eyes beneath the dark lashes, she found nothing remotely resembling anger. All she saw was his wounded pride and a burden that he had kept bottled up for too long. "Let me tell you about Hisana."

"Hisana?" she echoed.

"I have only told one other person this story, but lately, I have found it unbearably weighty. Will you listen to me, Haru, even though you were the victor in today's match?" A hesitant sigh permeated the silence following his request. At last, she removed her glasses and set them gingerly beside her sword. Haru's violet eyes shimmered vividly against the moonlight before falling to Byakuya. Her affirmation needed no words to convey; it was carried to his ears by a smile. She flinched slightly as Byakuya moved his head again, curling up slightly in an effort to defend himself from whatever invisible weight pressing down upon him. Then, he began to speak, and she, as promised, did nothing more than listen.

"Fifty years ago, before your parents were even born, I fell in love." Haru's eyes flickered with shock; that the icy Kuchiki was capable of any emotion resembling love was anything but believable. Still, the sincerity in his voice indicated that it was true, no matter how implausible it sounded. "She was far below me in class, and despite the opposition I encountered from my family and my clansmen, I resolved to unite myself with her in a matrimonial tie. Although our union was formal, she and I continued to live different lives. For five blissful years, I relished the idea that she would be by my side when the sun went down, pulled into a deep sleep each night by her own fatigue.

"I saw no problem with loving her from a distance; her presence was enough for me. As long as I had that pillar to lean on when I needed it, I knew I could continue living contently, but in the spring of the fifth year, a time when the earth comes back to life after sleeping, Hisana contracted an incurable illness that erected an unreachable barrier between her and myself. Robbed of the only person I ever allowed close to me, I wallowed in an inescapable misery, but in her final moments, she rewarded me with a single fact that provided suitable distraction. She disclosed to me the details of a sister, whom she had abandoned as a child in Rukongi for the sole sake of surviving, and with her dying breath, beseeched me to find the lost sibling she had left behind.

"It only took me a year; Rukia was at the academy, and her resemblance to my deceased wife was uncanny. As with Hisana, I took her into the Kuchiki family, this time with a legal union involving her formal adoption as my sister, and as with Hisana, I met opposition from all branches of the Kuchiki clan. I was forced to ignore it in order to fulfill the last promise I ever made to Hisana, that I would find her sister and allow her to call me her brother." He paused for a moment, glancing up at Haru to make sure she was still listening. Finding those violet eyes locked intently on his own, Byakuya returned his gaze to the moon and continued. "I related the details of this incident to Rukia on the day she was supposed to be executed for the unauthorized sacrifice of her powers as a shinigami and thankfully accepted her forgiveness, but…"

"But?" Haru pressed when he left the point hanging.

"But that day, I also discovered a flaw in my habit of keeping the people who mean something to me at such a great distance." Sensing her fascination, Byakuya shifted his weight, fixing his midnight eyes on her own. Startled at the contact, she turned away momentarily before returning her gaze to his. "Distance does not transfer all of the pain to the one upholding a barrier of space; more or less, it creates a greater amount of anguish, and that newly created part falls to those you keep away. Do you understand, Haru?" The girl seemed to turn it over in her mind several times, but each time, she only grew more confused.

"That can't be true."

"I know it is true," he answered, his eyes disappearing behind dark lashes. "I held the law closer than any other thing in my life, thinking that no suffering other than my own would come of it, but instead, I wound up being the source of someone else's pain. Rukia suffered a great deal due to my actions; she was spared execution only due to the interference of a third party."

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Then you know tonight was not the first time I lost to a commoner far younger than myself." The grudge was clear in his tone, but mingled with it was a sort of respect. Failing utterly in her attempts to decide who exactly the respect was intended for, Haru released a gentle sigh and glanced at him again. "As a noble, I am required by status to keep a certain amount of distance between the things I hold dear, if only so I can sacrifice them if necessary for the greater good of things."

"If this friend of mine spoke the truth, then I understand you forgot that fact, if only for a moment, and closed the distance separating you from your sister." Byakuya gazed up at her, trying to read the emotions in her eyes but finding only a peaceful cocktail of silver and violet. "You saved her life."

"I did what was best for the Kuchiki family."

"You would have saved her anyway," Haru insisted, drawing that subtle hint of irritation into his gaze at the boldness she occasionally implemented. "Even if it wasn't for the best, I think you would have saved her."

"Why is that?"

"Oh, I don't know," she replied, hiding the answer with a smile. Instead of pressing the issue, Byakuya shut his eyes and contented himself with Haru's presence. "Byakuya-sama?"

"Nandesuka?"

"You don't… intend to fall asleep here, do you?" The intent to do precisely that was clear in his eyes when they returned to view, glimmering with a faint determination and a vast sea of exhaustion. Flustered by them, Haru retreated to her thoughts and tried to pinpoint the exact reason of his inexplicable desire. "You must have gotten too hot in the bath or something, Byakuya-sama. You… are acting somewhat strange."

"Is it strange to desire your company, Haru-kun?" A slight gasp shattered the silence that would have otherwise followed at his manner of addressing her; nonetheless, she shook her head slowly in response, keeping her gaze averted from his own. Sensing her discomfort, Byakuya turned over to hide the ghost of a smile threatening to break through. "Are you blushing?"

"Iie…" she replied with some difficulty. "It just… caught me off guard."

"So you are blushing?"

"Iie!" she repeated, covering her face with her hands. "Byakuya-sama… you're not doing a very good job of keeping me at an arm's length. I should really…"

"Not right now, Haru." His unexpected interjection convinced her to withdraw into silence, and for the second time that night, she was reminded of her own situation several days prior to that night. His tone spoke volumes greater than the words themselves. Perhaps it was merely her imagination, but Haru swore she felt his need for someone's presence, just to help him through the night.

"Gomenasai." Byakuya turned over to gaze at her again, seeing the regret burning in her eyes. "I misjudged you. I thought you knew nothing of the hand of death or the anguish of enduring your troubles without bearing the weight in an obvious manner, but it seems… I was mistaken. Please forgive me." Wordlessly, he returned to his position, fixing his eyes on the moon, recoiling slightly when a gentle hand pushed his unrestrained obsidian locks away from his face. They resumed contentment almost immediately. "Time should stop for things like this. It's not every night I have company to watch the moon with." Byakuya silently agreed, but his rationale spoke of the moment's imminent end, and he at last abandoned his position.

"You may go, Haru." He sat facing the window, staring at the picturesque sky dotted with stars as he basked in the pale light cast by the moon. When no sound of motion broke his focus, Byakuya cast his eyes over his shoulder, eyeing the stationary Haru.

"Would you mind… if I stayed one more night? Leaving you alone wouldn't feel right."

"Suit yourself," he retorted in that same monotone.

"Arigato-gonzaimasu, Byakuya-sama. I will try not to be troublesome." The covers rustled as Haru crawled beneath them and curled up, watching Byakuya's silhouette against the silvery light pouring in through his window. "Oyasuminasai," she murmured. Silence regained its throne and thwarted any word he wished to add. Time passed, his resistance waned, and Byakuya joined his guest, wondering the precise cause of his sudden openness. His final waking thoughts were on that subject, and whatever answer his musings may have borne were effectively turned away by the fatigue that pulled him gently into oblivion.

* * *

Long, yes. Good? Well, I'll let you all decide that. Kudos on making it to the end! I know Byakuya is slightly out of character here (ok... really out of character; I can't see him being this forgiving after losing... in fact, it's hard to see him losing at all, but I see him acting as he did due to having all these internal burdens because he is probably one of the most complex characters in anime ever... and pichenette agrees with me on the subject of his complexity... must give credit where credit is due). Nonetheless, I hope it wasn't too terribly intolerable. Thank you again to all my readers/reviewers/favoriters/alerters, and I hope to see you all back here in '08! Here is your final Japanese lesson of the year! 

Ohayo-gonzaimasu : Formal good morning

Gomenasai : Formal apology

Hai : Yes

Roku : Six

Demo : But

Iie : No

Nandesuka : What is it

Oysuminasai : Good night; said just before bed.

Wow... I actually cut back on the Japanese... either that, or I missed a $#load that I don't have time to go back for. The hour of departure is upon me! To all those who have read this far, be sure to have a Happy New Year, and I'll see you all on the other side of the ball drop!


	6. Chapter 6: Good Company

A/N: Gomenasai! I know I said I would make feeble attempts at writing shorter chapters, but this one turned out long. The next one will be shorter... I swear upon a stack of Bleach manga! Anyway, I apologize for the brief, roughly 20-minute lateness of my chapter. The phrase "shit happens"... yeah, it's true, shit in this case being exhaustion, illness, my great grandmother visiting, and MAJOR depression because all of my buddies are at an anime convention this weekend... but I couldn't go because I have a job and no money. God... hates me right now. To make matters worse, just before work, I get a call from my nee-chan telling me how awesome it is and how she saw the PERFECT cosplay Byakuya. I just... wanted to curl up in the fetal position and cry because I missed it. Knowing me the way I do, I probably would have started stalking him or something. 3 Anywho, enough with my inane babble; you are not here to listen to my life's story... maybe some other time. XD Here's chapter 6... lengthy as all hell... enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 6: Good Company_

Over the course of the next several days, Haru's routine became almost identical to that of her host: they rose with the sun, had a cup of tea before breakfast, proceeded to the office for a day of paperwork, and returned to the Kuchiki estate for dinner. Their nights were sometimes spent in conversation; other times, they would simply watch the moon and admire its gradual growth, each contemplating whatever maters came to mind in complete silence. Despite Haru's misgivings and Byakuya's initial resistance, they continued to spend their unconscious hours side by side. By then, the servants had ceased their subtle manner of teasing, which included the questioning looks and words muttered behind their hands. Much to Haru's chagrin, however, the Kuchiki heir had not done the same.

"You know, there are other ways to wake me, Byakuya-sama," she stated with a suddenness that startled him.

"Perhaps, but none of them are nearly as amusing."

"How do you know? You have never employed any other method." He peered at the girl briefly over the form in his hand, examining Haru's somewhat meditative state. She was sitting in the corner as she always did once her work was complete, her sword propped against her shoulder, her gray-violet eyes misty with thought.

"Is something the matter?"

"Iie," Haru responded, smiling with an obvious emptiness. "It's just… I can hardly believe five days have already passed." As with most references to the incident that cost the girl her life, this one drew the traces of melancholy out of her gaze, though it was not to a degree that thrust her into a miserable sea of muddled emotions. "Sometimes, it feels like I just arrived, and I think myself awkward… like a child swimming for the first time. But in other instances, under the right conditions, I feel as if I have been here forever. There is so much I have yet to experience, so much I have to learn, but at times like those, when everything feels right, I actually begin to think I belong here."

"You are a shinigami, Haru," Byakuya retorted, returning his attention to the paper in his hand. "There is no question of whether or not you belong here." The slow movement of her head, barely visible from the corner of his eye, silently notified him of the girl's agreement. "You think too much, Haru; it is distracting me."

"Gomenasai," she stated with such vigor that he experienced surprise for the second time that day. "I shall try to think less audibly." When her eyes disappeared from view, the captain rubbed his temples and returned his focus to the task at hand. It was always intolerable when there was a shortage of paperwork, more so than when it appeared in excess of the average amount, and having nearly completed his task, Byakuya's mind was already working on the next. "Byakuya-sama?"

"What is it now?"

"I just realized how sparse the paperwork was today; do you think some of it was misplaced?"

"It is Sunday," he responded without losing focus. "Things are always more laid back on Sundays unless some sort of crisis arises." With a steady hand, Byakuya lifted the second-to-last form, moving his midnight eyes rapidly over its surface.

"What do you usually do with the rest of your Sunday?"

"Today, I have a meeting to attend. Unfortunately, it is with Genryuusai-dono and involves an important matter, the details of which he has not yet disclosed to me, so your presence will be disallowed. Until I am finished, you will have to keep yourself occupied in whatever manner you see fit. Just stay out of trouble." Haru considered his words for a moment before speaking again.

"May I accompany you to a certain point?"

"I suppose that is acceptable," Byakuya responded after taking his own moment of silent consideration. With the final form of the day resting in his hand, he struggled to keep his impatience to complete his task discreet. "What will you do with yourself once I leave you?"

"Do you honestly think me capable of causing trouble?" Haru answered, laughing at the incredulously look that overcame his face. "I was thinking about picking a fight with the first shinigami that crosses my path. Maybe I'll release my shikai and damage one of the buildings… I can't think of anything more I would love to do with my time than engage in some meaningless display of power."

"You can't be serious."

"I'm anything but serious, Byakuya-sama. Honestly, all I wish to do is sit in the sun and watch the clouds go by." Haru paused for a moment, observing her host with intense yet highly amused eyes. "Did you think I was serious?"

"I am still unsure of what to think."

"Then take my word for it: meaningless displays of power are a waste of time and energy. Besides, I respect you too much to make any attempt at damaging your reputation by causing mischief." She spoke with a smile over brimming with sincerity; as such, he saw no reason to press the issue. As he finally finished the last form, he set it aside, sighing his gratitude for having reached the end. Haru watched him cross the room expectantly, yet she made no move until she received a nod from the Kuchiki heir."

"What are you doing after the meeting?"

"Nande?"

"I was just thinking," Haru said while putting on her left sandal, "that you and I should fight again."

"Not a chance."

"Nani? Are you afraid that I will, by some turn of fortune's hand, once again obtain victory?"

"Do not be so presumptuous, Haru. If I remember correctly, it was I who won our last match."

"You were the one that gave me permission to use my zanpakutoh against that little wooden sword of yours."

"Only because I mistook it for a wooden sword, which I shall not do again. Besides, I also recall you mentioning the unfairness of your deceit in regards to the material composition of your weapon."

"However, you admitted defeat."

"As did you."

"Well, if neither of us our willing to concede now, wouldn't it be wise to have a rematch?"

"I am not going to fight you again, Haru." His tone was firm and unyielding, a blatant sign that any further insistence was futile. With a sigh of defeat, Haru shifted her hands to better her grip on the sword, dropping her eyes to the ground as she entered a wordless state of reflection. The lack of interference was fortunate and pleasant, for Haru was aware of the talk circulating that Kuchiki Byakuya, the captain of the sixth division and the head of the Kuchiki clan, had recently sprouted a second shadow that happened to be a young girl whose origin was unknown and whose presence was inexplicable by all available means.

The sound of her own name drew her abruptly from all thought, but it was too late to prevent her routine collision with the Kuchiki heir. "Sumimasen!" she cried, leaping back and bowing her head. "I… was not aware you had stopped." Byakuya looked slightly perturbed but was not seriously affronted; he had grown used to her occasional inattentiveness and its harmless yet somewhat irritating results. His eyes passed over their surroundings, signaling to the several observing shinigami that it was nothing to gossip about… though they inevitably would. Haru felt the weight of his gaze fall on her and stirred slightly, keeping her head bowed and her eyes on his stationary shadow.

"Sit," he ordered. Sensing the confusion that arose as a result of his command, Byakuya quickly provided a more thorough explanation. "Earlier, you expressed your desire to merely sit and observe the clouds. Other than the top of a building or Soukyoku hill, the former of which is too dangerous for you, the latter of which lies far beyond my own path, the best place to pass one's time in said manner is where we currently stand." A clear patch of unobstructed blue sky lingered above her head. The buildings were not quite as tall there and seemed to be capable of fulfilling her purpose. She nodded in understanding and retreated to a less obtrusive location before tucking her knees beneath her and resting the apparently wooden zanpakutoh in the crook of her arm. "Stay here. I shouldn't be long."

"Hai." Once Byakuya was gone from view, a trace of anxiety worked its way through her. With the comforting shadow of her host now absent, there was nothing to protect her form the scrutiny or interrogations of the other shinigami. Still, she tried to appear at ease, a ruse made even more convincing by the fact that her eyes fell shut. Plunging into deep thought once again, Haru found herself making another attempt at analyzing Byakuya's motives for tolerating her presence so frequently. _It makes no sense… nothing he said that night made the least bit of sense to me._ An inward sigh permeated the silence of her mind while the sun's warmth worked to dispose of her discouragement. _I suppose it doesn't matter much,_ she added, thrusting her violet eyes skyward and placing a brilliant shield of reflected sunlight over her glasses, a luminous curtain behind which Haru concealed her gaze.

_Can I reach it now?_ One of Haru's hands rose slowly until it fell between her and the sun, which had recently passed the apex of its climb. _I know it is foolish to reach so high, but even if I am decades younger than everyone here, I cannot bear to think I have wasted my life chasing a goal I will never reach. When I was alive, I always wanted to move higher and surpass the greatness of the heavens themselves. The sun is the apex of their glory; though I prefer the gentle moon, it would not shine without the sun._

Another inward sigh permeated the silence of her mind, aided by a passing breeze that scurried across her skin and displaced her thoughts. _Is it fruitless to reach for the sun, even knowing it will burn as much to reach it as it will to fail in my endeavors and plummet to a most complete and utter destruction? _That same empty smile crossed Haru's face as her arm fell back to her side. _What more is there to aim for?_

A threatening trace of reiatsu passed through the air, drawing her away from her thoughts and turning her gaze to ice. The other shinigami seemed not to take notice of its approach. _ Is it another arrancar? No… it feels different somehow, but still immensely powerful…_ Haru paused to set her eyes on the gleaming square hoop atop her zanpakutoh's hilt. It danced about in a silent warning or protest. _Powerful enough to be a threat._ Yet those around her only seemed caught off guard; they showed no sighs of feeling endangered. _What should I do? Byakuya-sama told me to stay here… I don't even know if it's after me._

Anxiety flickered in her gaze as a fast-moving cloud of dust rounded the corner. Wild laughter shot through the until that point calm atmosphere… wild, yet naively amused. It continued forward at an unchanged rate while those who even took the slightest notice did nothing to prevent its impending approach. The source remained shrouded and appeared merely as a shadow among the clouds as it approached Haru. Sensing the sudden discontinuity in the approaching steps, she implemented shunpu and somehow managed to catch the minute shadow before it hit the ground. _A… child?_

Unfazed by the near fall, the pink-haired, wide-eyed little girl glanced up at her, her smile teeming with mischievous elation. Slowly, that elation faded to wonder for some reason beyond Haru's reckoning, but the reason was soon voiced. "Wow… you have pretty eyes, imouto-chan!"

"I… beg your pardon?" she choked.

"Imouto-chan has pretty eyes!" the child repeated, no less ecstatic than she had the first time.

"But I'm not…"

"Imouto-chan, you want to play a game?"

"Perhaps some other time," she responded, setting the child on her feet and gently dusting her off. "At the moment, I'm waiting for someone."

"Oh?" she asked, raising a finger to her mouth in thought. "Who's that?" Haru failed to provide the girl with an answer as she still wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation, but the child got impatient and began to supply answers for her. "Is it your nii-san or your otousan?"

"Kuchiki Byakuya," she murmured idly.

"Bya-kun!" Haru stifled a laugh at the title the young girl seemed to have bestow upon the sturn Kuchiki. "Onee-chan, is Bya-kun fun to play with?"

"I'm... not sure what you mean exactly, but he is good company."

"Wow, you're really lucky, onee-chan. Bya-kun never plays with anyone."

"Yes, well… he is a busy man… why do you keep calling me 'onee-chan,' anyway? I'm not you're little sister; you're smaller than I am." She couldn't help but pat the gleeful child on the head and smile; for some reason, the innocence bore the traces of a threat that no longer fazed Haru. "I have a name, you know… it's Tokazawa Miharu."

"Neh, neh, imouto-chan!" the pink-haired girl continued, ignoring the introduction, "did you really just get here five days ago?" She tugged on Haru's sleeve, gazing enthusiastically at the bewildered newcomer. "Is this your zanpakutoh? Wow… it looks weird. Ken-chan said he heard people call it weird, but it's a lot weirder than I thought."

"It gets me through my fights in one piece." Having finished her brief inspection of the ecstatic youth, she rose to her feet and took her sword between her hands. "May I ask your name?" She looked as if she hadn't expected the question. "If you insist on calling me onee-chan, I would at least like to know what I should call you."

"Kusajishi Yachiru, vice captain of the eleventh division!" The youthful enthusiasm of the bubble-gum haired child drew another smile from Haru. "Demo… you can call me Yachiru-chan since you're my imouto-chan."

"As you wish." Yachiru giggled ecstatically as Haru patted her head again. "Would you mind if I ask you why you were running?"

"I was playing with Ken-chan." To verify her story, she opened her hand to reveal a single bell, small yet large enough to glisten in the sunlight. "I took it from him when he was sleeping. Now, I'm just trying to see if he can find me." Haru silently admired the cleverness of the game, having done such things before, though the fact that Yachiru stole it put the taller of the two a little ill at ease, especially when she thought of what Byakuya would do if she ever tried such a thing.

A wild surge of reiatsu drew her thoughts from the stern shinigami. Yachiru squealed excitedly and darted behind Haru, but it was too late. The bulky man rounding the corner had already spotted her. "Yachiru, get over here," he called sternly.

"Ken-chan found me!" she laughed.

"That's… Ken-chan?" Haru looked incredulously to the figure approaching; not only was he enormously built and covered in scars, but his captain's haori was tattered. The bells at the tips of his spiky hair jingled quietly as he walked, the haze of his yellow reiatsu still burning in his one visible eye. With the other one covered by a patch, Haru couldn't help but think he looked like a cross between a fifteenth-century fool and a pirate.

Her shoulders went rigid as the eleventh division captain looked her over, searching for some sign of familiarity, recognition, or respect, but he found none. "Eh? I haven't seen you around before. Didn't they teach you how to treat your superiors at that overrated academy thing?"

"Gomenasai, Taichou-san! It won't happen again!" Haru quivered slightly as she bowed her head, not wanting to take her eyes off his for fear he would kill her. A predatory look drifted through his gaze, adding to his somewhat terrifying countenance; almost immediately, his irritation with the playful vice captain was displaced by an almost murderous grin.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Tokazawa… Miharu," she answered after a moment, daring to steal a glance at the relaxed child standing behind her. The grin spread wider, almost to the point of making his teeth appear sharp. "Ano… I haven't been assigned to a division yet…"

"Doesn't matter," he answered as his hand drifted to the hilt of his sword. Sensing the impending onslaught, Haru took one hand off of her sword to seize Yachiru and toss her aside; then, with the thrill of combat rushing through her blood, she leapt away from the blade as it emerged from its sheath. She landed a short distance away on her feet.

"Zaraki-taichou, please leave the girl alone. You've already gone after two of the new graduates this week, and she has no formal training…" pleaded one of the onlookers.

"Urusai," he ordered, "and if anyone gets in the way, I'll cut them down without hesitation." Another shudder worked its way through Haru, this one different than the last. It was a mixture of terror and determination that almost impelled her into a ready stance, but she resisted this instinct, wanting to hear the remainder of what he had to say. "This girl looks fun, even if she is just a rookie. That's why the lack of numbers doesn't matter; I'm going to kill her before she ever finds out."

"Kuchiki Byakuya," stated the elderly captain commander as his noble guest entered.

"Genryuusai-dono," he responded, bowing the slightest bit out of respect for his superior. "My apologies if I am tardy. I was… delayed briefly by a matter whose significance likely pales in comparison to that which you have called me here to discuss."

"Be a little less hasty with your presumptions, Byakuya-dono; I have a feeling they are one in the same." The Kuchiki raised an incredulous brow as Yamamoto Genryuusai proceeded to explain. "I have already caught wind of your success in retrieving the girl from the human world. Tell me, what are your thoughts regarding her?" Under any other circumstances, he would have provided an abrupt, accurate, and truthful answer, but he was so unsure as to whether or not he should take it in a professional or personal context that a brief period of silence passed before he could collect his thoughts. Once he cleared his throat, he readily fulfilled the captain commander's request.

"She is… good company."

"And her fighting skills?" Sensing the hesitation in the younger noble's gaze, he prepared to recant his request, but he was prevented from doing so when Byakuya began providing the answer he had requested.

"In all honesty, I have never seen anything quite like it."

"Are there any particulars?" Genryuusai inquired. After a brief moment of silence, taken for consideration, the Kuchiki responded.

"Her kidou is at a level I did not think possible for someone her age. She is an eloquent and proper speaker, and her words can effectively elevate motivation to unprecedented heights. Her kenjutsu, though not entirely flawless, is effective enough to make her a threat in battle, especially when enhanced with physical attacks, mainly kicks," he added as an afterthought. "Additionally, her strategical reasoning seems to be one of her strongest points. I learned first hand that despite her harmless appearance, she is capable of deceiving her opponents should they underestimate her."

"As I thought," muttered the captain commander just loud enough for Byakuya to hear. "That girl seems to be a prodigy of some sort, similar to yet different from Kurosaki Ichigo. If you are as impressed as you seem, then she must truly have a superior capability to learn at the very least."

"Perhaps that is so, but as of yet, she has not disclosed the source of her learning, nor does she seem set on putting her power to any particular uses other than self-preservation and the occasional sparring match."

"Indeed," Genryuusai responded, "which is why we must be cautious. Power without purpose can quickly become a dangerous thing." For an instant, the Kuchiki heir was overwhelmed with an inexplicable desire to defend the girl, but seeing its only potential was to raise suspicions, he voiced no defense on her behalf. "Byakuya-dono, I would like to see this girl for myself. When is the soonest you can bring her to me?"

"I left her several miles back; if immediately is not too inconvenient for you, Genryuusai-dono, I could retrieve her." The elder shinigami stroked his beard in thought as he considered the matter. "Sir?"

"I have no other engagements; therefore, you may bring her."

"I understand," Byakuya stated with another bow of his head. "Allow me a quarter of an hour. It should take me no longer if all goes well."

Haru dodged the latest attempt at taking her head, overleaping the blade and landing a short distance away in a crouch. Despite her best efforts, the only affect on Zaraki Kenpachi had been the demise of his patience and control. Now, he truly was like some sort of beast, going after her with everything he had. _His desire to kill me is rather vexing, _she thought as she darted around his sword again. _He has no motive, but what makes it even more vexing is the fact that he seems to be enjoying it._ Haru somehow struggled around his next series of blows, keeping a firm hold on the handle of her sword. The onlookers were no help; they were either well-programmed robots who always followed orders or too terrified for their own physical well-beings to intervene.

"Ken-chan is having so much fun!" Yachiru cheered, tugging on the sleeve of one of the more anxious observers.

_At least one of us is,_ Haru added silently, gritting her teeth as the blade came dangerously close to her still moderately uncomfortable shoulder. _I am unsure of what to do. If I can hold out until Byakuya-sama comes back, then maybe he will intervene. No… I'm certain he would do no such thing; he is still angry about our little match even if he doesn't show it. I cannot possibly release shikai; the rules restrict its usage during times when warfare is not a chief concern, and besides, I do not really feel like drawing my sword anyway._ Haru gritted her teeth with discomfort as the blade swept across the back of her left hand, lacerating it deeply enough to cast a few drops of blood onto the ground when she lowered it.

"If you have time to think, you're not trying hard enough," stated her rather heated opponent.

"I am no threat to you or Seireitei, so why are you attempting to kill me?" Haru somehow managed to dodge the sword as it came in her direction again. Her eyes met his for a brief instant as he changed directions and prepared to attack again.

"Because it's fun," he answered. She only narrowly avoided the blade, and that was with throwing herself to the ground. Her opponent's weapon followed, embedding itself in the ground where her neck had just been. Kenpachi raised it again and prepared to thrust it downward, but she moved before it even reached its apex. "Come on… it's no fun if you don't draw your sword."

"I do not need it." She threw herself aside as the next attack flashed through the air, and, after sliding to a stop, Haru dropped to one knee in order to catch her breath.

"Don't need it? Like hell…" He was already coming towards her again, but too late did he spot her ploy. Instead of dodging the next attack, Haru rose and turned on her heel, spinning in a full circle as the blade came towards her. A foot significantly smaller than his hand collided with his wrist, preventing him from completing the swipe; then, with rapid decisiveness, Haru thrust her own wooden sword against his solar plexus. The blow would have winded any normal opponent, but not Zaraki Kenpachi.

_His muscles… they're too hard. _Realizing her flaw, Haru pushed off the ground with her other foot, standing on his wrist and leveling her gaze with his own. She thrust a foot in the direction of his chin, but it was effortlessly caught, awakening the surprised trepidation that threatened to push through.

"You really expect to kill me this way?"

"Killing you has nothing to do with it." Recovery, she knew, would be difficult to attain, but she quickly formulated a plan to attain it. With a force enhanced by her own reiatsu, Haru pushed off of his wrist and swung her sword in the general direction of his head. It collided with a sickening thud, the result of which was a trail of blood running down his forehead and around the bridge of his knows. Then, with the same force, she lowered it to strike the wrist that grasped her ankle. Once it loosened, Haru used shunpo to put some distance between herself and her opponent. Her breaths were sharp and hard, cutting through the air with dangerous unsteadiness.

For a moment, Kenpachi appeared a bit surprised at the girl's offensive tactics, but that wild and bloodthirsty grin reappeared no less than half an instant later. "So, you've got some fight in you after all…" Just as he prepared to move forward, Haru took one hand off of her blade and thrust her index finger in his general direction, a pinpoint of light appearing at its tip. "What the hell…"

"Bakudou no rokujyuuichi... Rikujoukourou." Six staves of light effectively immobilized the eleventh division captain, drawing out a look of animalistic expression on his face. Then, calmly, Haru knelt as she often did when she needed to meditate and close her eyes, still keeping one fragment of her attention on the struggling, cursing Kenpachi. _That should show him down for a little while and give me the time I need to weigh my options. Options? Who am I kidding? I have no choice but to keep fighting him. I don't believe my pride would allow me to run away now._ She paused in her thoughts for a moment to make sure, and indeed, it would not seem right to flee, not only for her own pride's sake, but for that of her opponent's as well. _The only way he would stop fighting is if he dies, or if someone intervenes, and neither of those cases seem likely. Damn it… I have a feeling I will regret this in the morning, if I even live that long._

Just then, her time to ponder expired. Kenpachi broke free of her bakudou and rushed towards her. "Come on, coward… try and kill me!" She disappeared from view before reappearing behind him, turning the same way she did before to put more force behind the blow. The end of her sword struck the hilt of his own as he turned to counter it, effectively pushing his own blade away long enough to allow a swift retreat. That maddened look in his gaze had not waned an ounce; in fact, now more than ever, he was looking forward to seeing more of her blood.

_What is with this man? He seems to want death, whether it be his or mine… is he mad?_Haru's focus returned quickly at her zanpakutoh's jingling reminder. She leapt over his blade, ducked the next blow, and, with the same spinning motion, attempted to take him off of his feet. Unfortunately, his weight far succeeded that which Haru was used to dealing with. By the time that thought ran through her mind, Kenpachi had already lowered his blade and prepared to take her down with an upward swipe. Haru could only leap backwards and tuck her head beneath her body, pushing off of the ground with her right hand before turning to land on her feet.

Immediately, she dropped into a crouch and darted to his right since the sword was already rushing at her. _My body is starting to feel heavy… and I can barely breathe. How long can I keep evading? _The opportunity Kenpachi sought presented itself; he thrust the sword towards her back, and sensing the impending strike, Haru whirled about with stunning speed to face him. She narrowly avoided the thrust of his blade, and she stumbled twice as she bolted to her left to avoid the swing that followed. After retreating to a safe distance, Haru returned her hands to the submissive grip she usually used on her sword, holding it perpendicular to her body. _If I draw this sword, will it even change anything?_ Her grip remained unchanged as she darted around several successive attacks. That grin was starting to wear her resistance down, tempting her to call forth the same sword that Byakuya had faced only days before.

"Quit thinking and just draw the damn thing already… it's irritating." Haru couldn't respond; she was too busy moving around the rain if blows Kenpachi subjected her to. At some point in time, she lost her balance, but she managed to push herself backwards with every ounce of force as the blade swept across her neck. Only a small cut lingered, one that would not affect her physical condition at all; it was the fall that paralyzed her. As her back hit the ground, Haru had to bite back an agonized cry at the sensation that flowed through every trace of flesh and bone her body contained. With no time to recover entirely, Haru forced herself into a sitting position, intending to take the final blow in a manner of boldness that would bring her honor in defeat, but there was no need for that. His shadow had already passed between her opponent's blade and her quivering form.

Kenpachi's blade was countered by that of the interfering figure before he could even finish dropping the stroke. With their blades and their gazes locked, the atmosphere grew so thick with tension that Haru almost expected a sudden storm to break out. A touch of reiatsu seeped through his normally composed figure, burning threateningly despite the absence of anything but the coldest threat in his eyes. "Leave the girl alone; she is a matter that does not involve you."

"Nani? You want to fight in her place, Byakuya?" A different sort of shudder worked her way through Haru, and for the first time in her life, she found a trace of fear lingering in her blood not due to any name or circumstance, but simply due to the unparalleled coldness in his eyes.

"I will not say this again, Zaraki Kenpachi: leave the girl alone." Whether it was the threat in his tone, the coldness in his gaze, or the wisps of reiatsu, Kenpachi seemed to decide that killing Haru was an endeavor no longer worth pursuing.

"You're such a stick in the mud," he muttered discontentedly. "We was only sparing; nothing serious."

"She is bleeding. How can you not call that serious?" The katana disappeared into its sheath as Byakuya turned to her, his eyes still carrying the frigidity he directed towards his coworker. "Get up, Haru. We're going."

"Where…"

"Do not waste time asking me questions." She tried to understand the motives behind his request, but the numb fear working over her made it impossible. She could only follow it and hope for the best. Without a word, Haru rose from the ground, dusting herself off to the best of her ability before following her host breathlessly, strangely enough, in the same direction she had just come from.

"Imouto-chan!" She turned back briefly, seeing Yachiru perched on the larger man's shoulder as if she were nothing more than a light weight. "Come play with me soon, ok? And Ken-chan, too! He had a lot of fun!" Haru bowed her head slightly, fighting off the smile that threatened to overcome her at the child's innocence. The sound of her own name effectively killed it, and she returned to her task of pursuing the sixth division captain. She tried to think of some word to utter, some apology that may greatly decrease his current fury and frustration, but when nothing came to mind, Haru resolved to endure the silence to the best of her ability.

"Byakuya-sama…" Her voice trailed off when she recalled his command. Haru bowed her head slightly in apology as a single midnight eye threw her a look of warning. "I know you said not to ask questions, but doesn't your estate lie in the other direction?"

"We are not returning to my home, not yet." The unexpected and abrupt halt nearly resulted in their second collision of the day, but Haru was paying enough attention to stop before any such event occurred. Sensing his intension to turn towards her, she quickly bowed her head.

"Gomenasai... I know it makes no difference that I did nothing to provoke Zaraki-taichou, but… I truly am…" She fought every desire to leap back when a gentle hand began to pry her injured one from her sword. Succumbing to the silent request, Haru allowed the same cold eyes to examine the cut on the back of her hand. His fingers slid against her palm, sending yet another tremor through her body. Then, as if he suddenly realized what he was doing, Byakuya drew away with an uncanny abruptness that lacked every hint of delicacy he had used in coaxing her hand away from the sword.

"You will live," he stated, continuing on as if their brief pause had never taken place. Haru scurried after him, slowing to match is pace once she closed some of the distance separating them.

"How long… were you standing there?"

"Long enough to know you are not at fault." She could have cried tears of relief just from knowing that trace of anger in his eyes was not intended for her.

"Byakuya-sama, I…" Haru paused to rephrase her question. "If you were in my place, being a new arrival in Soul Society with little formal training confronted with an opponent frighteningly larger than yourself, what action would you have taken?" He glanced back at her briefly, a silent signal that he did not quite understand. "How far would you have gone to protect yourself?"

"Zaraki Kenpachi is a somewhat base man whose only knowledge on how to act comes from his survival instincts. He has no self-control. That makes him a nuisance, especially when he decides to test his skills against one who has only just arrived in Seireitei."

"Byakuya-sama, if I had drawn my sword against him…"

"Do not ask me such things," he interrupted, his hair swaying as he turned his eyes back towards his path. "Refrain from fighting him again, Haru."

"Hai, Byakuya-sama," she murmured in response. They walked the rest of the way in silence, removing their sandals before crossing the threshold of the door Byakuya pulled open. Haru followed him closely, pushing it shut with ease before turning to examine the strange place she had just entered. There was only one other person in the room, a man who appeared as old as the hills themselves. Something in him caused a hint of recognition to surface in Haru's gaze, and she immediately dropped to one knee. "Soutaichou-sama…" The stillness that followed was full of unease, Byakuya's particularly. He had not expected her to react so abruptly considering the brevity of her residence in Soul Society.

"Please come forward." She obeyed wordlessly, keeping her head bowed slightly as her violet eyes became hazed with thought. "State your name."

"Tokazawa Miharu."

"Tokazawa-san," Genryuusai responded, peering at her with one open eye, "are you by chance related to Tokazawa Misuzu?"

"Nani?" Byakuya asked incredulously. "You cannot possibly mean this girl is related to the ex-captain of the fifth division. She is not nearly as unruly as that woman…"

"Byakuya-dono, let the girl speak." Haru debated silently for a moment on how to answer the question before raising her eyes.

"I am not inclined to say at the moment. Please forgive my silence." She bowed her head to more clearly signify her apology. She had already spotted the subtle perturbed twitch that crept through the elderly man's brow, and she could almost feel the frustrated curiosity radiating from Byakuya. To her relief, Genryuusai seemed to deem the matter insignificant enough not to press.

"Very well; we shall change the subject if it makes you uncomfortable."

"H… hai. Arigato-gonzaimasu."

"I understand you are currently a guest at the Kuchiki estate. Is he treating you well?"

"Very, sir," Haru responded. "He is hospitable, not to mention a pretty good swordsman." She couldn't help but smile at the sour look that crossed his face at any mention of his kenjutsu skills; fortunately, the captain commander failed to take notice and continued his interrogation.

"Is sparring all you do together?"

"Not really." Byakuya shot her a warning look, cautioning her to be delicate with her answer. "We eat our meals together, too, and he lets me go to work with him."

"Does he give you something to keep you occupied?"

"He… lets me sort the paperwork, if that counts." She sensed another warning flash through the air, which instigated her addition. "Oh, but don't worry… I give every form only a cursory glance, and I see so many of them in a day that I can't remember one iota of what they contain, not even if I try to. I understand they are classified, but it just seemed like too much work for one person to do." Smiling sheepishly, Haru bowed her head again, seeking apology for this other wrong she had somehow caused. "If it warrants any punishment, I will gladly be the one to receive it. I was the one who insisted on helping."

"I suppose I will overlook it. Even if you happened to remember a trace of what those documents contained, you do not strike me as the kind of person who would needlessly utter classified information." A sigh of thanks escaped her as she raised a hand to her racing heart.

"Soutaichou-sama, is there some reason you called me here other than to inquire me about the details of my life?"

"I am unsure of what you mean."

"Well, I sort of thought I would be getting assigned to a division today."

"Are you that impatient to leave the Kuchiki estate?"

"Not at all," Haru responded, shaking her head rapidly. "I just… don't want to inconvenience Byakuya-sama too much."

"There is no inconvenience," he put in, using his usual monotone, "not even when we sleep together." He couldn't help but smile inwardly as Haru's face burst into crimson flame. It was a struggle to hold in every objection and argument, especially when she saw the questioning look that swept over Genryuusai's expression.

"Is this… true, Tokazawa-san?"

"Well, it's complicated. It sort of is true, but it depends on what context you take it in…"

"It is not my concern," Genryuusai interrupted. "Your justification is unnecessary. Tokazawa-san, I only wished to ensure your adjustment and judge for myself whether or not I was wise in sending Byakuya-dono to retrieve you. We will not meet again until you are assigned to a division. Until then, I advise you to stay out of trouble."

"Hai," she answered, bowing her head in understanding. "I will do my best, even if trouble comes looking for me."

"You are dismissed." She turned on her heel and fixed her gaze on the sixth division captain, whose midnight eyes were burning with a subtle yet clear amusement. Once he started forward, she scurried after him. "One more thing."

"Nandesuka?"

"Next time Zaraki Kenpachi confronts you, do not hesitate to use whatever measures are necessary to defeat him. Anything short of bankai will do; just make it clear you will not tolerate such things."

"H… hai, Soutaichou-sama." She was relieved to escape the chamber in which her inquisition took place. Having returned to the pale blue sky and the warm sun, she walked on slightly lighter steps; the remainder of her relief was displaced by the lingering traces of her mortification.

"Byakuya-sama, you're so cruel," she whined, raising one hand to her crimson face, "saying something like that in front of Soutaichou-sama… I can't decide whether you were just teasing or you had a genuine desire to embarrass me." She faltered in her steps as she collided with his back, remaining there for a few moments since there were no witnesses to hide the intensely embarrassed look on her face. "Why must you be so troublesome?"

"I could say the same about you, Haru." Her right hand closed around the end of his scarf as her eyes rose to scrutinize the light playing on his obsidian hair in a vain hope that it may be some indicator of the glimmer flashing through his unseen eyes. "If Zaraki Kenpachi wounded you any more than he already had, I would have taken his head." Immediately, she relinquished her grip on the scarf and turned away. "Do not apologize, but do not hesitate, either. It will not be the first time a newcomer has released shikai in an effort to ward him off."

"He was not worthy of seeing it." The resentment in his tone was surprising, but what caught him even more off-guard was the smile that scattered the traces of her anger. "Even so, he seems fascinating in his own way. I think I would like to fight him again." He made a slight sound, likely one of frustration, for just the exasperated sigh died away, he raised a hand to his head.

"I do not see how," Byakuya retorted.

"If it helps, I find you fascinating, too."

"That does nothing to help."

"Nande?" Haru darted in front of him and turned, her smile broad and her eyes lively. "Did you not say the same about me during our first meal together?"

"A valid point."

"Then what are you complaining for? The arrangement is not inconvenient for you; you said so yourself."

"Your secrecy is vexing," he sighed, continuing his steady pace towards home. As he passed her, he gave her a glance that displayed a subtle mixture of anguish and irritation. "I feel as if you do not entirely trust me, Tokazawa Miharu."

"Do you honestly think that?"

"I am still unsure of what to think."

"As am I, especially after what you said to Soutaichou-sama, but that is half the fun of things, is it not?" Byakuya considered her rejoinder for a moment, but for some reason, whether it was the atmosphere, the innocent, eager, and still somewhat embarrassed look in her eyes, or the gentle insistence in her tone, he found himself incapable of seeing anything but truth in her words.

* * *

Congratulations on making it through another horrendously ginormous chapter! Your reward: another Japanese lesson! Oh, and before I forget to mention, it made me SO happy to log onto my e-mail several days after posting chapter five to find ELEVEN notifications on various favoritings, reviewings, or alertings. Thank you for all of your encouragement; fans are half the fun! Btw... mass apologies for any typos... it's late, and I'm only 21.45 conscious. For those of you who don't know Japanese: 

Iie : No

Gomenasai : Formal Apology

Nande : Why

Nani : What

Sumimasen : Excuse me

Hai : Yes

Imouto-chan : Little sister... and now I know so. Arigato for pointing it out, Tenshi-No-Yuki!

Ano : Japanese equivalent to our "um"

Urusai : Shut up

Kenjutsu : The art of wielding a sword

Bakudou no rokujyuuichi, Rikujoukourou : A binding art (number 61), which translates to "six staves of binding light" (hooray for : Formal thanks

Nandesuka : What is it

And a quick side note: Genryuusai doesn't appear much in the anime, so I'm pretty sure I don't know his character very well. I know most people call him Soutaichou (captain commander), but I think I recall Byakuya referring to him as "Genryuusai-dono" at some point... and Haru calls him Soutaichou-sama because I said so... even if it's odd. Yay for oddity! And my God... I really need to cut back on the Japanese, don't I? XD So, until next chapter, peace!


	7. Chapter 7: A Fragment of Truth

A/N: OMG! I can't believe I forgot to put the horrendously lengthy A/N in beforehand! It must be an off-day (yesterday was a really off-day... parents gone, dog has seizure, all of my friends are at the con, and all of my friends who weren't had to work... crazy stuff. I handled it quite well, I think, and I am pleased to say that said dog has made a relatively full recovery). Anywho, I corrected my Japanese in the last chapter thanks to Tenshi-No-Yuki. And I've been promising a short chapter for a while now, so here it is! Enjoy it! Omg... a short a/n... can it be that I have finally learned how to write briefly? D

* * *

_Chapter 7: A Fragment of Truth_

Byakuya stood with his back to the door, staring intensely at the moon fixed in the sky. Despite all of his best efforts, the regal nobleman could not rid himself of those infernal words. _That is half the fun of things, is it not? _They echoed loudly in his ears, permeating the stillness of the room and drawing from him the slightest exasperated sigh. He wavered internally between intrigue and irritation, his ever changing emotions serving to augment the latter sentiment until that sigh fully escaped him.

The sound of his door being drawn open did nothing to disrupt his trail of thought; he remained facing the window, gazing at the waxing gibbous as his thoughts wrestled with each other. Quiet steps rustled across the floor as a presence other than his own impressed upon his currently occupied mind, drawing his midnight gaze away from the pearl in the night sky and to the girl standing just behind him. Her left hand was wrapped in bandage, and a small piece was secured at the side of her neck. As for the violet eyes he so desperately wished to see, they were locked on the sword between her hands. "Byakuya-sama, you… seem angry with me."

"What makes you say that?"

"You didn't say much once we returned; we simply ate our meal and went our separate ways with barely a word passing between us."

"Is that a problem?" he returned. Haru winced slightly at the biting coldness in his tone, not daring to glance up at him for fear that his gaze might shatter her composure. "Perhaps I merely had nothing to say." He turned his back on his visitor, gazing at the silvery orb as he made a valiant attempt to collect his scattered thoughts, but what could thinking do when she was standing right behind him? "Your secrecy… does it serve some purpose other than to vex me?"

"Sensei recommended that I be careful about what I say and whom I say it to. I deemed it a legitimate device for the situation this afternoon, especially since you failed to inform me of Soutaichou-sama's desire to see me."

"Souka," he murmured. "There seems to be a mutual distrust between us, Haru, for you seem unwilling to share your secrets, and that unwillingness is beginning to make me suspicious."

"That is why I came," Haru stated, closing one hand around his sleeve. The distinguished Byakuya turned towards her slowly, penetrating her violet gaze with his own, searching it for any motive or emotion he could possibly recognize, but all he saw was a burning trepidation that stirred the dormant pity in his heart. "Do you see her when you look at me, Byakuya-sama?" A look of bewilderment signified his confusion and drew a brief addition on the part of the speaker. "Tell me, do you see any trace of my mother in me?"

"If I knew who your mother was, I would answer that question."

"Don't play dumb," she murmured, releasing her grip and casting her eyes towards the same sky he had just been engrossed in. "You know damn well who my mother is. You just have no desire to see it. Even now, you are afraid to guess one way or the other for fear of guessing wrong. Her blood is mingled so thickly with my father's, I find it surprising that Soutaichou-sama even noticed. Perhaps it was the name that triggered it, or my eyes… father always said I had her eyes, right up to his dying breath." Finding it impossible to continue, Haru threw her heated gaze to the corner as she unsheathed her zanpakutoh and tossed its wooden prison aside. She felt Byakuya's discontentment as the silvery light played upon the blade. His eyes clearly wished that the senbonzakura was closer than the far corner, preferably within reaching distance should she foolishly choose to implement her weapon for some dark and unknown purpose.

Haru's eyes, though they contained a potent haze of thoughts, seemed intent to study the reflection of the moonlight on the metal of her sword. She struggled to pull the restraint from her hair, and after letting it fall to the ground, she removed her glasses. "Do you know the price of happiness, Byakuya-sama?"

"What sort of question is that?" he inquired, deeming it safe to turn his back on her. "Happiness has no monetary value and therefore cannot be priced."

"So you would like to think. You gave a hefty piece of your respectability to marry Hisana because you loved her, and because her presence made you happy. I would consider that a price of some sort. People make small sacrifices every day to ensure their futures will be happier than they otherwise would have; high school graduates pursue a higher education, and college graduates pursue higher degrees. Some people even give their dreams to please their parents. Do you understand now what I mean by the price of happiness?" That feeling shot through the air again, the feeling that Haru needed an ear to whisper into.

"I do," he responded, turning intently to her and pressing his back to the wall. "But what does this have to do with your mother?"

"My mother… Tokazawa Misuzu…" The words were difficult to find and even more difficult to press out once she had attained them. Her conclusion came in a tone so overwhelmed with agony that the noble Kuchiki himself felt its affects. "She gave everything for my happiness." They were barely a whisper, but he managed to pick them from the otherwise soundless night air. "She left Soul Society to experience the world, and I was the eventual result of one particular experience called love. But in the process of ensuring my happiness, she sacrificed her own. She was slain by a hollow that attempted to destroy me, and it was on that night that I learned of my own power. I couldn't control it… the bitter resentment at being so utterly alone in the world… I just wanted to obliterate everything in my path to relieve my solitude and anguish."

The gentle waver of her sword in the moonlight provided her listener with a rather accurate concept of her current emotional state. "It frightened me… to feel that way, and if it hadn't been for Sensei finding me, I probably would have done some regrettable things." Her eyes moved along the shadows painted on the wall, sliding along their lengths until she came to her own feet. "I don't want to feel that way again, Byakuya-sama…"

"You have no reason to feel—"

"I have every reason to!" she interjected, raising her eyes in such a manner that the ends of her still damp hair swayed. They shimmered with tears, tears Haru desperately held back behind a fragile dam of fortitude. "The saddest part about this whole damn thing is that my mother died for nothing. Even after all these years of struggling through everyday life, carrying memories no child should have to bear, and wondering why I was still alive, what purpose I may serve, I still cannot say I am truly happy." A sigh of wind made its way through the window, scurrying across the room without taking note of its inhabitants. "You no doubt remember what I said about you when we first met, that you were distant. You may also remember that I myself was distant while I still drew breath in the human world. My distance fulfills a pragmatic purpose, Byakuya-sama, and it still does."

A subtle movement in the shadows drew Haru's attention, but she saw no reason to react until a confident hand reached towards her shoulder. She withdrew before it fell, shooting her host a glare full of daggers. "I do not understand."

"You got too close, Byakuya-sama… far too close." Haru's sword lowered, its point hovering just above the floor, and she wrapped her free hand around her shoulder as if to protect herself. "Surely, you have not forgotten that arrancar? That was a warning… Aizen undoubtedly knows where I am. Every moment I draw breath brings him closer to formulating a plan that will alter my fate and decide whether I die a hero or a villain."

"I still do not understand, Haru."

"He will destroy any links I have to a side other than his own: people, places, things… it doesn't matter. It is all the same to him." Sensing Byakuya's approach, she withdrew until she could move no further, pressing her shoulder against the wall and attempting to push him away with her wild gaze. "Do you still not understand? He will kill you, Byakuya-sama, and I don't want to be the cause of your demise! My own parents died to keep me alive, yet by living, I am more of a threat than ever. Onegai…" A shudder rushed through her body as she shamefully dropped her eyes to the floor. "Onegai… I do not wish the same fate on you!"

"Haru-kun, listen to me." The wall at her side was the only thing keeping her standing at the moment; already, her breaths came in ragged, broken gasps from holding back her tears for too long. When she refused to look at him, a gentle hand moved under her chin and forced her gaze onto his. "There is no joy to be found in solitude. Perhaps there is some kind of quasi-contentment lingering among the gaps between you and whatever you hold dear, but there is no happiness." Byakuya pressed his other hand against the wall, blocking her only escape route when he saw the intention to do so rush into her gaze. "Nobles such as myself… we have no choice but to isolate ourselves, but we have pillars to hold us up: the law, duty to the family, duty to the dead, but you seem to lack purpose entirely because you are afraid of that purpose being destroyed. You needlessly live your life this way, Haru-kun, always pushing others away… it is unnecessary."

"Byakuya-sama…"

"Do not argue with me." Among all the pity, there lingered a touch of irritation, directed more at her sudden change of heart than anything. "The wall you put up to protect yourself is useless. When you wind up like this from holding it all in and then try to push the one person who would gladly comfort you away, you perpetuate your own inevitable suffering." Haru thrust her gaze in another direction to escape his own, if only for a moment, but he immediately returned it to his own by forcing her head to turn… not that she put up much resistance. At that point, her sentiments were muddled into such an enormous and indistinguishable knot that indifference engulfed every single one of them. "Your life is not like mine, Haru-kun. There is nothing to stand in your way of feeling, nothing save your own misgivings. Transcend them; only then shall you live again."

Around that time, the noble realized how close he had gotten, how far he had gone, and with surprising haste, he released the girl's chin and turned back towards the window as a flustered look overwhelmed his normally stoic expression. The moon suddenly looked less bright than it had before, the cause being no physical cloud but a mental one that for some reason obscured his perception of all save the events that had just taken place. They were displaced only by the stifled sobs of his guest, who turned fully towards the wall and sank to the floor beneath the weight of her own uncertainty. Byakuya resisted every urge that crawled through his mind, including that screaming desire to do anything but leave her there. Firm in his restraint, he gazed at the distant sky, allowing the moonlight to flood his midnight eyes as it did the star-speckled abyss hovering above all of Soul Society.

"To rise above the sun..."Out of every muddled thought scurrying across his conscious mind, those words pushed their way to audible recognition. For some reason, they served to steady Haru's breath, even if her tears kept falling.

"On broken wings, I try to rise above the sun that makes me nothing." She spoke more to the wall than to him, but Byakuya still caught the words. "Are you familiar with that haiku, Byakuya-sama?"

"I recall hearing it somewhere before," he responded, daring to glance back at Haru. She was slumped against the wall, her sword sitting beside her and gleaming beneath the moon's touch. Tears still clung to her face, where they lingered untouched by her still unsteady hands. Obstinate and hesitant, the noble clung to his restraint, despite the fact that seeing her tears after so many smiles was one of the most painful tortures he had ever endured. "This fragment of truth, such a small fraction of snow that crowns the mountain." A hint of a smile crossed her violet gaze, now calm and weary, even as she noticed the shift in the silhouette adorning the wall to her far right.

"Unopened flower sits beneath a gray sky and waits for shadow's end."

"The sun, far too bright for such a gentle flower, who yearns for the moon." He must have been feeling particularly bold, for he sat before her despite the threatening gleam of her sword and reached out a steady hand with which he gently wiped her tears away. Haru quivered beneath the touch, wavering between acceptance and rejection as it scurried down her cheek and along her jaw line. Having not been pushed away yet, he gently brushed her hair out of her face.

"They will never meet, those candles of day and night, forever separate."

"United they are by gazing on the same sight: a pair of singing birds."

"So we're birds now, are we?" she inquired, amusement flashing across her violet gaze. "And since when was poetry the same as singing?"

"It is a metaphor, Haru-kun. Besides, I was never good at writing haiku."

"Nande? Because it requires too much emotion?" The warm hand resting beside her cheek shifted to withdraw, but it was prevented from doing so by her own, which held it firmly in place. Startled by the force but even more so by the subtle quiver in Haru's grip, his will to carry through disintegrated, the source of its obliteration being those intense violet eyes that bore into his own. "Please…" she murmured, bowing her head to hide the crimson in her cheeks. He could feel the mortified fire burning through them, an electrifying heat that singed his fingertips and summoned a slight tinge of pink to his own. "Just a little longer."

"But it is getting late." With a sigh, she relinquished her grip, sheathing her sword and gathering her discarded glasses and the restraint for her hair. There was no point in keeping it in while she slept as it had not cooperated since her arrival in Soul Society. Byakuya slid between the covers, observing her as she organized her possessions neatly beside her end of the futon before joining him. "Haru-kun."

"Nandesuka?" she inquired, turning towards her host and peering at him through an unruly curtain of nutmeg locks. It was a picture of innocence that burned itself into his mind and refused to leave, even after he shut his eyes.

"You may move closer if you like."

"Why would I do that?" Haru rolled onto her other side again, hiding the smile that slowly worked its way into her expression. Silence remained, but only until a gasp dispersed of it, drawn forth by the pair of fingers racing up her spine. Immediately, she turned towards her tormentor, throwing herself defensively at his chest to escape the sensation. Unsteady hands gripped the folds of his sleeping kimono, which came apart just enough to reveal a generous piece of ivory skin. "That was cruel," she muttered, resting her forehead against it as a wave of fatigue swept over her. "It was uncalled for, too."

"Perhaps, but it was productive." A sigh of defeat struck his chest as the girl shifted her limbs to a slightly more comfortable position.

"Byakuya-sama."

"Nandesuka?"

"Was my mother… a decent shinigami in your opinion?" He gave no immediately response; his dark eyes simply found her own in the dark and studied them for some motive behind her question. "You see… she never told me much about Soul Society or her role in it. She said I had no reason to fret about such trivial things. All she told me was that she left of her own free will. Now that she is dead and I am here, I think I would like to learn more about it, and since you were a captain before she was promoted, I figured asking you would be a decent place to start."

"Misuzu was a tolerable coworker. Troublesome, yes… and moderately rebellious, and she lacked every trace of class, but when it came to getting the job done, she was the one Genryuusai-dono came to count on. We only worked together on several occasions, and we wound up drinking sake together on one such occasion. Her presence was a bit overbearing. She was bold when she was sober, even more so when inebriated. Other than that one time, we never interacted outside of work. She had no interest in me, and I no interest in her. It was a mutual indifference." Byakuya paused to glance at Haru, who was surprisingly still listening intently to every word he said. "When she left, all thirteen divisions were effected; it meant more work for all of us, and Aizen, her vice captain, was promoted to fill the void."

"Did they get along well?"

"As far as I knew. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering… if Aizen had any unresolved or personal vendetta against my mother. It is a far-fetched hypothesis, I know, and perhaps this is the oncoming sleep talking, but lately, I have been unable to shake the feeling that Aizen's pursuit of me has something to do with her. No, that wouldn't make sense," she muttered, nuzzling his chest in a near unconscious moment of deep thought. Byakuya couldn't help but jolt at the sensation, so unfamiliar and so odd, especially when he considered its source was a fifteen-year-old girl, that his breath hitched before he could complete his gasp. "Is something the matter?"

"Iie," he managed, resuming his normal rate of breathing. "You must be feeling bold tonight."

"It is a product of my weariness, nothing more."

"Of course." In the silence that followed, Haru drifted off for merely a moment. At some point, she must have lost enough focus to distract her from the heavy arm that rested across her shoulders that drew her swiftly back into consciousness. Startled by his odd behavior but not willing to lose the contact, Haru remained silent until the breathing of her host grew slow and shallow. Violet eyes moved upward to scrutinize his expression; being the one that always fell asleep first and the one to awaken second, she was never allowed the sight of the Kuchiki's dozing face.

Midnight eyes lurked behind the dark lashes, which were drawn together by a heavy, inescapable fatigue. The light of the moon peering through his window fell across his face, glistening against the slightly askew obsidian hair resting against his cheek and shrouding one eye almost entirely from view. No thanks to that pale stream of light and the contrast of the dark tresses resting against his skin, it looked even paler than it usually did. His lips were parted slightly, and through them escaped a contented sigh of one surrounded by a peaceful unconsciousness. The normally furrowed brows, made rigid by his vigorous devotion to duty, were relaxed by the hands of sleep. _He looks so innocent and content… it's troublesome,_ she thought, nuzzling his chest to draw another sigh from him. _I don't think I shall be able to push him away, not after seeing that face._

The hand, which had at that point been resting near the back of her head, shifted to her back and pressed her even closer. A hiss of displeasure escaped Haru as her back tingled beneath the unexpected contact. Once it stopped moving, she unclenched her fists and resumed her silent observation of the nobleman's face. It was difficult to see from her position, and it may have been a trick of the moon or the sudden onset of sleep that was slowly yet surely dragging her away from consciousness, but Haru swore that the slightest bit of a smile played on his lips as he clung to her for warmth or whatever other reason. _What should I do? Should I wake him? Surely, he doesn't expect me to sleep like this._

But soon, all of Haru's thoughts ran together, woven into a single uniformity by sleep's gentle hands as they coaxed her from consciousness and away from all matters of grievous torment, whether they lurked in the present or in the distant past.

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There... as promised, a short chapter. Don't expect another one for a long time... it'll probably be a while before I can write a short one again. Thanks to all my readers and such, and until next chapter, hope you enjoyed. Oh, and here's your Japanese lesson for the day! W00T!

Souka : I see

Onegai : Please (hope I spelled that right; I have also seen it "onigai," and I am unsure of which is correct... ')

Nande : Why

Nandesuka : What is it

Iie : No

And a side-note on haiku: for those of you who don't know, it is a traditional Japanese form of poetry composed of a single tercet (three-line stanza); the first line is five syllables, the second seven, and the third five. Generally, it contains a reference to nature but usually contains a hidden meaning beyond that... or so I think. Since I dabble every now and again in poetry, I thought it would be fascinating to put my not-so-l33t haiku skills to the test, and it worked... or at least I think it did. But who cares what I think? I'm the author, right? XD Hope it didn't bother anyone too much... ..'

Wow... not a whole lot of Japanese, either. Do I get a cookie? Next chapter will be up ASAP, so fear not! And it shall contain considerably less poetry. X3


	8. Chapter 8: Visitors

A/N: Ok, seriously... I need to start writing shorter chapters. Originally, this chapter was supposed to be longer, but since my neck hurts and I feel like I got hit by a semi... wait, make that two semis... I'll leave it at this. Massive apologies for any typos/grammatical errors. I have no unearthly idea what is keeping me awake right now. Over the past 3 days, I got very little sleep because I went on another trek to my buddy's house, and to make matters worse, the stupid heat wave (and lack of a good multi-vitamin) gave birth to a full-blown head cold, whose symptoms include fevers, migraines, runny noses, coughing, and sinus pressure so bad, it made my teeth hurt. Just the story of my life... and college starts back up on Monday, too. Anywho, I'm finished complaining, so here's chapter 8. Huzzah! Thanks to all my reviewers/favoriters/alerters... I heart you all immensely!

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_Chapter 8: Visitors_

Days rolled by with rapid sluggishness. The bustle of the daylight hours was made even more arduous by a sudden increase in the quantity of paperwork, which grew to nearly unmanageable proportions even with Haru's aid. Byakuya spoke very little in times like those; pushed to the brink of exhaustion by the inexplicable influx, his eyes and pen were always working at one thing or another while his aide darted about, organizing this pile or straightening that, apologizing to any whom the captain deemed unnecessary interruptions and doing what she could to ensure her host ample time to complete the day's work.

It was a grueling task that greatly cut into their leisure time; relaxing dinners were now rushed meals, breakfast had become the same way, and pleasant conversations beneath the moon's scrutiny became virtually nonexistent. Still, Haru seemed content despite the rigors of the day and was more than happy to keep him company while he slept only to rise the next morning and ingest her tea and breakfast so quickly that she could barely taste it.

But like all stretches of time, the hectic period passed, fortunately by the end of the week, so that on the following Sunday, they finished early enough to spend a large piece of the day in leisure. "Byakuya-sama, did you know you cling to things in your sleep?" The Kuchiki heir examined Haru with an almost offended air, his brow arched in curiosity as if it was the direst slander he had ever been subjected to. "It is true," she said, laughing gently into her cup of tea before taking a sip and setting it aside. "Several nights this past week, I wake up in the middle of the night while you are unconsciously making an effort to wring the very breath from my lungs. It has never happened before, which is why I must ask… is there something I did to offend you, Byakuya-sama?" He remained silent, his usual stoic composure giving the slightest waver as he shut his eyes to fully experience the aroma and flavor of his tea. "Are you blushing?"

"Iie," he responded vehemently.

"You are, aren't you?" Haru couldn't help but laugh behind her hand at the expression that overwhelmed him, a mixture of irritation and mortification. The slight pink tinge was clear in his face; there were no shadows dark enough in the daylight to hide it. "What reason would you, a pillar of strength in Seireitei and in the Kuchiki clan, have in doing such an inexplicable thing?"

"I will hear no more of this, Haru. I refuse to be interrogated in my own house."

"But we are technically in your garden," she responded, raising her silvery-violet eyes to the pale blue sky hanging overhead. "Furthermore, I believe my line of questioning entirely justified considering I must suffer your company every night."

"If you dislike my company, then why do you return every evening?" Haru sipped her tea thoughtfully, holding the cup between her hands and watching the sunlight play across its amber surface.

"I never said I disliked your company, Byakuya-sama."

"You never said you didn't."

"A valid point," she stated with a smile, "but the fact that I return to your bedroom every night would imply that I found some miniscule enjoyment in your presence, would it not?"

"As do I in yours, which is why I allow you to return without argument."

"I thought that was merely because you were too exhausted to argue." A gentle wind swept about them, lifting the ends of the ribbon that secured Haru's hair and the two tendrils that framed her face. She released the tea cup and forced the unruly lock behind her ear, eyeing the tree near its center as she mused. "Byakuya-sama, have you ever had sakura tea?"

"On several occasions. I find it a bit sweet for my tastes, but under the right conditions, I cannot help but enjoy it. Why do you ask?" Silently, Haru motioned to the sakura trees in the garden, lying dormant in the intermediary period that separated one spring from the next.

"It would be nice to sleep under them while they are in bloom."

"The ground would be uncomfortable," he argued.

"You think so?" Not even this disagreement could displace the serenity coursing through her veins; after working like a dog for six days, she was finally able to slow down and admire the simple pleasure of sitting beneath a clear sky and drinking tea, with a companion whose presence was anything but irritating, no less. "Byakuya-sama?" Though his cup was raised to his mouth, he stopped at the sound of his name, lowering it slightly and fixing his midnight eyes on the girl sitting across from him. "I'm not sure why, but for some reason, tea tastes better when I am drinking it with someone. It sounds strange, doesn't it?"

"Not at all." Byakuya raised his cup again, taking a slow and deliberate sip of the remaining tea that only ceased when he noticed Haru staring towards in the most random and obscure direction possible. "Is something the matter?" No answer; only a solemn hint of recognition that failed to scatter her thoughts and draw her attention. The silence was broken only by her slight shift in position, which caused the square hoop at the top of her zanpakutoh to jingle in slight protest. "Haru-kun?" Her distraction dissipated, and she returned her gaze, now mortified, to that of her host.

"Don't call me that."

"Oh?" he said, raising a hand to his chin in thought. "It did not bother you a week ago."

"Now is not the time to discuss it. Someone is coming." Neither of them stirred for a moment, and the silence remained unbroken other than by the gentle movement of the metal hoop on Haru's zanpakutoh. Sure enough, once Byakuya's doubt set in, a servant burst through the doors.

"Kuchiki-sama! I am here to report the arrival of several visitors!"

"I was not expecting visitors," he responded. "Send them away."

"But sir… they… insist that they be allowed entry."

"Are you sure it did not slip your mind in all the chaos?" Haru inquired as Byakuya opened his mouth to reiterate his firm refusal. "There was an excess of paperwork this week, the most I have ever seen… even though I have only been here for about two weeks." There was no denying its possibility, but the Kuchiki was so certain of his accuracy that not even her violet eyes could shake his confidence. "It would not hurt to at the very least see who it is. I will be fine by myself."

"Very well, if you are so adamant about it."

"Nani? Is the heir of the Kuchiki clan taking advice from a child now?" He vanished from view momentarily, no doubt due to his use of shunpu, before reappearing undetected behind her. It was fortunate Haru had set her tea cup down; otherwise, its contents would have wound up on the ground. She gave a sharp cry of surprise as his index finger raced up her spine.

"Do not push your luck, Haru-kun," he returned in his usual stoic monotone, so close that his breath actually brushed against her ear. Byakuya gave her no time to react; he reappeared a moment later beside his servant, who looked rather disgruntled at what he had just witnessed. Still, he spoke no word about it; he merely watched his master disappear behind a door. Once he was certain of his solitude, he threw a questioning gaze at Haru, who looked rather shaken over the combination of whatever words had been uttered in her ear and the unexpected touch.

"If you don't mind me asking, Tokazawa-san…"

"I do," she interrupted, closing her hand around the middle of her sword as if to emphasize her resistance. With a troubled sigh, she drained her cup and set it on the tray, pausing as another gust of wind blew about. Her hand moved towards her host's own cup, still half-full, but her intuition told her that he would not return for some time.

"Tokazawa-san, that isn't necessary…"

"I know, but I am still not used to other people cleaning up my messes for me." Haru rose from her seat despite the servant's further protests, leaving her sword lying in the grass as she carried the tray forward and handed it to him with a smile. He was hesitant to take it from her for some reason beyond her reckoning. "Calm down; I don't bite."

"Hai, Tokazawa-san…" He reached unsteadily for it, but the girl pulled it back at the last moment.

"That was a request, not an order, and I honestly don't mind if you call me Haru. After all, I am merely a guest in this house. You are not my subordinate." She held out the tray once more, this time allowing the servant to take it from her. To his surprise, she smiled again as she turned away and meandered back to her seat on the grass. For some reason, he lingered, watching her as she sprawled out on her back and watched the clouds go by with her zanpakutoh leaning on her arm.

"Ano… Tokazawa-san..." She indicated her attention with her gaze, which shifted away from the pale sky and to the servant who cautiously approached. "May I… ask you something?"

"Only if you sit down first." He looked a little flustered at her request, but seeing no way other than to follow through with her outlandish request, he folded his legs beneath him, keeping one eye on the relaxing shinigami until he was certain she did not intend to harm him. "Nandesuka?"

"What… exactly is your intention?"

"I am afraid I don't understand," Haru replied, rolling onto her side as her intuition raced along her spine.

"In being here, and in allowing Kuchiki-sama to get so close to you… what is your intention?"

"Do you think I chose to come?" Her response startled the gentleman into relaxing a little more, who leaned back on his arms and gazed at the sky. "As pitiful as my life was in the human world, I would rather have stayed. When I wasn't at school or training, I was alone. It was such a simple existence, and so free of trouble that, after being here for twelve days, I wonder why I did not die of boredom." A smile pulled at her lips, less empty than before but still hollow to a relatively high degree. "You are the one that showed me the way to the bath, are you not? What is your name?"

"Nobu… Keiji," he responded, throwing his gaze to a random section of the garden.

"Keiji-san, then," Haru stated.

"I… iie… I cannot possibly…"

"I insist," she interjected, amusement flashing across her gaze. His protests were stilled by her placidity, augmented by the way the sun fell across her hair, gleaming across the two loose tresses she left unrestrained. "Keiji-san, I understand your concern for Byakuya-sama; it is the kind of things masters often do not get to see. Even so, if I have given you reason to mistrust or misinterpret my current position, then I apologize." Panicked by her words, he sputtered out a vehement argument at a volume that would typically have attracted the attention of his master.

"No… you can't… I didn't… I never once thought… you've got it all wrong!"

"It's fine," she interrupted in the same calm voice. "I know I do not belong here, but by some turn of fate, some inexplicable and unlikely fluke, this is where I wound up when I was brought to Soul Society. I have no choice but to accept this arrangement until another can be made." A sigh escaped her as she paused, rolling back onto her back and losing herself in the pale blue oblivion suspended above her head. "You must understand… I have no desire to leave this place, but I feel as if I am somehow inconveniencing him."

"Not at all," Keiji insisted, waving his hands and smiling awkwardly. "I think he rather likes having someone here other than the servants. It has been so long, with Rukia-san away in the human world, since I have seen him as content as he is with you around… oh, not that I'm implying anything by it." As his words died away on the air, Haru forced herself onto her other side; no way would she let him see the pink tinge working its way into her cheeks. "If you don't mind me asking, exactly... why are you still sleeping in his room?"

"Hell if I know." Her response was borne on a gentle sigh and at a quiet enough volume that Byakuya wouldn't hear the expletive if he happened to be listening at the door. "He hasn't thrown me out yet, and I can't find it in me to leave him alone. I suppose it is mutual toleration… or something like that."

"Do you enjoy your time with Kuchiki-sama?"

"If I didn't, would I continue spending time with him?"

"Then it must be more than that, especially if he keeps letting you stay in the main house." Haru coughed loudly at his comment, curling up defensively to hide the burning fire in her cheeks. "If you intend to push him away, Tokazawa-san, then now would be a good time to do it."

"I have already tried; the endeavor was useless." She started counting the blades of grass that made up her current bed, musing over her current predicament as she did so. "While I was still alive, it was so easy to push people away. I don't understand what happened, nor do I care. As long as things feel right, I am willing to continue putting up with him." A smile ghosted her lips, tinged heavily with her resentment at the thought of being torn away from her new routine by the violent fingers of fate. For whatever the reason, Keiji seemed content with her response and rose, stretching to ward off the placid fatigue the sun's rays inflicted upon him. With an air of utmost satisfaction, he paced to where the tray sat and lifted it with a silent, steady hand. "Keiji-san, am I correct in assuming you will utter no word of this to anyone?"

"Of course," he replied.

"Arigato." Haru waited until she was certain he had no intentions of returning before turning onto her other side, staring at the door through which her host, and more recently his servant, had disappeared through. _Why should I worry about losing what I have? It will only serve to disrupt the comfort I have found here._ To prove her resolution, Haru sat up and slid the black layer of her uniform off, delighting in the dual sensation of the chilly wind and the warm sun brushing against her bare arms. After discarding it entirely, she wrapped a hand around the wooden sword laying beside her. The ends of the white cloth around the handle fluttered in the wind, and the square piece of metal at its top stood parallel with the blade.

_You can stop nagging me to practice, now,_ she thought as she rose, putting her left foot in front of her right and allowing her shoulders to relax. The handle was positioned between her two hands, her left slightly higher than her right. For safety's sake, and partly out of respect for Byakuya, she left the sword in its sheath, which would not budge unless her reiatsu triggered its removal. _I always did my best thinking when I was swinging a sword, especially when that sword was you._ With deliberate slowness, she raised the wooden blade, tilting her head back slightly to enjoy the sun. The stroke fell with a satisfying swish, which died away before she began raising the sword again to repeat her move. As she completed her second swing, a placid glint of deep thought entered her gaze, and once the nagging of her intuition departed, she was left to ponder beneath the peace of the day.

Unfortunately, Byakuya had anything but peace at the moment. He sat crossly in the dining room, leaning his weight on his left hand, as he listened attentively to the account being given by one of his six visitors. "Somewhere along the line, Urahara-san decided I owed him a favor, so he asked me to find this Haru of sorts. As we have already spent half the day looking, I thought it may be a good idea to ask you before we searched any further, Nii-sama."

"That is all good and well," he responded, shutting his eyes and folding his hands, "but why exactly did you bring them along?" Renji was the first to answer.

"I'm your vice captain; I figured you might want help with the paperwork."

"What exactly does that have to do with you being in my house, Renji?" The redhead straightened his shoulders as his captain's eyes scrutinized him. "What about you, Quincy?"

"They dragged me along against my will; there was nothing I could do," responded a rather perturbed looking Ishida, pushing his glasses up and glancing sideways at an ecstatic Orihime.

"I've never seen the inside of Kuchiki-san's house before, so I thought it would be interesting to take a field trip," she quipped. Chad made a noise that sounded like affirmation but offered no further explanation for his presence. Thus, only one guest remained unexplained, the orange-haired teen who had dared to defeat him in combat, and he appeared as though he had no explanation to offer the Kuchiki heir.

"Gomenasai, Nii-sama… I know it is troublesome," Rukia continued, "but do you think, just until we find who we are looking for, they could borrow one of the guest houses?"

"Not until Kurosaki Ichigo justifies his presence here."

"I'd be honored to," he retorted, thrusting a rather irate thumb in Renji's direction. "You see, I just can't count on this numbskull to get the job done. He's got such a short attention span…"

"Urusai, baka! You're the one with a short attention span!" Not five minutes in his house, and they were already arguing. It was going to be a long day… a terribly long day.

"Ano… Abarai-san, Kurosaki-kun… you really shouldn't be arguing… think of where you are," Orihime stated, but it was no use. The two were already knee-deep in their argument; there was no stopping them. Ishida pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose again, trying to hide the glimmer of irritation in his gaze, while Rukia murmured an apology and shook her head in dismay.

"Do you think we should try to stop them?" Chad inquired.

"There would be no point."

"Renji." His peripheral gaze locked on his captain, who sat looking composed other than the fact that every glint of emotion had left his gaze. "Have you already forgotten where you are? If you wish to argue senselessly, then do so elsewhere." With that deadly coldness flitting through his captain's steely gaze, Renji had no choice but to release the orange-haired substitute, who followed suit and muttered a half-hearted apology to accompany the vice captain's. Byakuya's head gave a throb as the memories of his last fight with Ichigo suddenly flooded his mind.

"Nii-sama…"

"Rukia," he interrupted, dropping the hand that had been moving towards his temple. "It is inconvenient when you show up on such short notice. Be sure to notify me ahead of time should this happen again."

"Hai."

"As for them, I suppose I can manage to house them for a few nights, bearing in mind they do not disturb the peace. You will remain with them in order to ensure that they do not."

"Arigato-gonzaimasu, Nii-sama." To show her thanks, she bowed her head, making sure Ichigo and Renji followed suit. They looked rather outraged at the hand weighing heavily on the backs of their heads, but they made no verbal indicator or action of resistance. Once Rukia released them, Renji turned towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I need some air," he responded, "that is… if it's all right with you, taichou." Having received no word of negation, Renji stepped out of the small room, pacing slowly down the hallway with certainty. It was no secret; he already knew the way to the garden. _There are times I just can't stand him, and now is one of those times. Short attention span… where the hell does he get off on insulting me? He's just a substitute… a substitute that beat me, but that's beside the point!_ Knowing the sight of a pale blue sky would take his mind off things, Renji threw the door open and stepped into the garden, but one step is as far as he got before he realized it was already occupied.

She was frozen in mid-swing, her gaze intense with a fading thought or sentiment. Her breaths were quick and sharp, likely from repeating the motion so many times in such a short period. A trickle of sweat ran along her temple, curling under her jaw line before finally dropping off. Nearby, the black haori of the typical uniform lay discarded, but she still wore the white layer, sleeveless, and from the looks of things, she was just as surprised to be interrupted as he was to find someone, let alone someone he didn't recognize, inhabiting the garden.

It could have been the burning frustration with Ichigo; it could have been his wild side, or maybe it was just the fact that every unfamiliar shadow was a suspect arrancar or one of Aizen's pawns, but for whatever the reason, Renji simply couldn't stand seeing all that talent wasted on a wooden sword. He bolted forward without a second thought, towards the steady figure in the garden, drawing his own blade only when he was close enough to strike, but before it followed through, she had already disappeared.

A sharp pain shot through his shoulder as the wooden sword fell on him from behind, a stinging blow that brought back memories of the academy and of training, but it did nothing to disable him. He whirled around to strike again only to find she had already moved. "Do not tell me that you too desire to kill me," said a voice to his left. He directed his katana in that direction, watching as the shadow of the girl soared over his head and landed a short distance away. "What is it with you people and that burning desire to kill? I see no purpose in it."

This time, when Renji swung, she actually landed on the blade, her balance as unwavering as her gaze. He was completely open to the strike she delivered to his skull, after which she leapt away and took up her ready stance again. "You're pretty good, girl."

"Arigato," she responded, pushing one of the loose tresses from her eyes. "You're not so bad yourself."

"That still doesn't explain why you're in Kuchiki-taichou's garden." Renji shot forward before she could even begin to answer, and again, her agility saved her. She ducked the blade and caught his ankle with her outstretched foot, throwing off his balance with an unsettling ease and watching as he hit the ground. It took him a moment to open his eyes and comprehend his surroundings, especially the girl sitting with her feet tucked beneath her and her hands folded in her lap. The wooden sword now leaned against her shoulder, the silver square hoop at its top glinting docilely at the redhead as he recovered.

"What about you, hmm?"

"It's none of your damn business."

"I suppose not," she replied, keeping her silvery gaze locked on his as their eyes leveled. They observed each other for a moment, locked in a silent yet somewhat friendly stare down, while the clouds slid languidly across the airy ocean overhead. A bit of a frown worked its way into the girl's expression. "You must be a visitor," she decided after another moment of thought, locking her misty eyes on Renji's. "I have seen no shinigami other than Byakuya-sama on the premises, and you carry a zanpakutoh. Therefore, you are not a servant." Her eyes flashed to the band wrapped around his left arm; a spark of recognition permeated the fog of uncertainty. "So, you are the notorious vice captain of the sixth division?"

How exactly she pieced that information together so quickly was beyond him, but he sensed a touch of familiarity in the back of his mind that seemed to pertain to this girl. _I've seen her somewhere before, but… where?_ He tried to find some trigger that may indicate his inexplicable yet faint recognition.

"The only thing I can't quite recall is your name." He was floored by this latest piece of information… literally. Surprise splayed him out on the grass as a look of genuine confusion washed over his observer's expression. With equal rapidity, he sat up and seized the collar of her uniform in both hands, his tattooed brow twitching with the wave of frustration coursing through his blood.

"What…" he began, giving her a slight jolt to draw her attention, which seemed to move elsewhere in spite of his grip. "What the hell is up with you? You can reason all that out, but you don't know my name? And that sword… the hell are you still carrying that thing around for?" The composure in her eyes swayed at his words, but she made no move to retrieve the wooden weapon from the bed of grass it now laid upon. "Just what are you? You fight like someone at my level but carry a sword like one I haven't touched since the academy. And that innocent look on your face… someone like you could never be a shinigami. You don't have what it takes to kill, so just go back to wherever you came from and leave the hollows to the professionals." Placid sorrow worked its way through her gaze, displaced only by the accompanying trace of offense. "Damn it!" he shouted, jolting her again to return that silvery gaze to his own. "Say something, will you?"

"Kindly release me," she answered in a dead serious tone, "or I will make you regret every word you have uttered since you set foot in this garden." Renji's brow twitched skeptically as he tried to wrap his mind around the threat. A threat… that scrawny little girl actually had the gall to threaten him, in his captain's house no less? He silently acknowledged her boldness, a dangerous touch to her prior composure, but now, her eyes were alive and teeming with vehemence.

"Just try it," he challenged, locking his gaze on her own as it wandered briefly to her weapon. At the slightest sign she was reaching for it, Renji reached for his zanpakutoh but at far too slow a pace; the next thing he knew, the hand still clinging to the collar of her uniform instinctively withdrew, burning with a welt inflicted by a mere wooden sword. The redhead was the first one standing, and he took a triumphant swing at his opponent to prove the point. She vanished before it fell entirely, giving him just enough time to comprehend the use of shunpu. Her responding blow fell against his right side, which contained enough force to throw him off balance and send him tumbling across the grass.

To his relief, no other attack followed. He slid harmlessly to a stop, having inflicted minimal damage on his captain's garden. It took a moment for him to focus his vision, but when he recognized the shadow standing over him, every ounce of pain left his body. The momentary struggle to rise ended with him on his back, still gazing up into the cold eyes looming over his aching, dizzy body. "Renji," said the familiar voice, "what exactly did you do to the poor girl."

"What do did I do to her?" he cried, not caring if the outrage in his voice was clear. "How about what she did to me?"

"Gomen." Though his captain's voice did nothing to rouse him, that single word motivated Renji into a sitting position so he could observe the girl, standing with her shoulders rigid and her hands wrapped around the middle of her sword, as she crossed the garden to retrieve her discarded haori. Before she reached it, she paused to bow slightly, indicating the undeniable sincerity of her one-word apology. "I may have been the one to take it too far, but I cannot very well take it lightly when one starts treading on my pride." Byakuya's eyes followed her as she continued forward, observing as she bent and collected her black haori. She pulled it around her shoulders so that her sleeves hung freely, swaying with a slightly different rhythm than the white ends of the cloth wrapped around her sword's handle. "Abarai Renji… yes, I remember now. I saw you at school once with Rukia." She studied the surprise in his gaze and gave him a void of a smile to compensate. "I apologize; things are still a little muddled."

"Muddled?"

"Hai," she responded, "because I only died about two weeks ago." Something in her tone, a casual and indifferent note, managed to rub Renji the wrong way and draw him into a standing position. "Perhaps you misunderstand the severity of the situation you just put yourself in. You see, that technique I just used on you is typically meant to destroy a hollow. The only difference is…" With a gentle tug, enough of the blade encased within the wooden sheath was revealed. Sunlight collected upon it, glinting with a threatening brilliance that was mirrored in the violet gaze. "…I use it without the sheath."

"I appreciate your restraint, Haru," Byakuya stated, watching as the revealed portion of her sword returned to its hiding place. "Losing my vice captain would have been troublesome, and had you killed him, I could not have in good conscience allowed you to continue living in this house." To Renji's amazement, a hint of amusement filled the emptiness of the smile as she adjusted her hands on her sword to the same docile grip she had used before. "Renji." His incredulous eyes wandered away from the girl who, when not swinging a sword, seemed to be a picture of innocence, to the slightly cross yet ever serious and composed Kuchiki heir. "I would prefer it if you refrained from attacking her pride in the future. Of all the shinigami I have met, Haru is the last one I recommend underestimating. She has shown me very little of what she is capable of."

"Only because it makes things more interesting," Haru put in. "It would be no fun for either of us if I told you everything."

"So, it is supposed to be fun for the both of us now, is it?" Byakuya raised a hand to his head briefly before letting it fall and allowing the slightest shrug to work its way into his normally rigid shoulders. "I am afraid I do not follow your logic." Her smile broadened at the Kuchiki's words, his apparent bewilderment adding considerably to the amused glimmer dancing across her eyes.

"Chotto matte," Renji stated. "Kuchiki-taichou, did you just say this girl's name… was Haru?"

"I did."

"Took you long enough," Haru quipped. What she didn't expect was for the redhead to approach her with stunning rapidity and set both his hands heavily onto her shoulders. Her gaze was immediately flooded with suspicion as to his motives, reflected in the tightening of her hands on the blade they currently gripped.

"That damn Urahara-san… sending us on a wild goose chase and not even telling us you were a girl. The hell was he thinking?"

"Renji," Byakuya interjected, "as much as I hate to disappoint you, that girl is not the Haru you seek. She would not associate with someone as troublesome as Urahara Kisuke."

"You mean sensei sent you?" Haru inquired, tilting her head in curiosity while discretely monitoring Byakuya's response. He nearly fell over as his head whirled in surprise, but his temporary loss of balance was too subtle for Renji to see. Her eyes meandered skyward, allowing her to partake in a moment of thought before lowering them again. When she did so, they were surprisingly dark, and the violet in them was clear. "Did he say why?"

"Iie," Renji replied, rubbing the back of his head at the sudden trepidation coursing through her gaze. "All he said was that it was urgent."

"Souka." Haru raised a hand to her chin, trying vainly to wrap her mind around the situation. Surprise and threat fluttered across her gaze when her wrist was unexpectedly seized by Renji, but he only pressed an object, what appeared to be some sort of phone, into her palm with a gentleness she would not have expected from him.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Haru gazed at him for a moment, her eyes empty and distant. "I doubt Urahara-san disclosed the details to any of us, so it's probably best that you ask him.

"Us…" The word penetrated her gloom as several familiar reiatsu pulled at the strings of her memory. "Ishida… is here?" Renji thought it strange that she should ask about a quincy first, but he nonetheless gave her a nod of affirmation. "Good," she murmured, looking slightly relieved. "Would you mind giving me a few minutes to sort this out, Byakuya-sama? I shall be along as soon as I finish." When she gazed at her hose, she found that familiar irate look on his face, almost as if her secrecy offended him in some unforeseeable and completely unintentional manner. "Onegai?"

"Take as much time as you need," he responded, "but I expect you to explain yourself once you are through."

"I will tell you what I can." Haru bowed her head as the captain departed; his red-headed vice captain followed before the silent command to do so took wing, leaving her in complete solitude to muse over her predicament. _What would he want? To send me off, or is it something else? _She flipped the phone in her hands open, peering at the screen without actually seeing it. _I suppose,_ Haru mused, flipping through various unrecognizable phone numbers programmed into his phone until she found that which belonged to Urahara's shop, _there is only one way to find out._

She struck the dial button without hesitation and pressed the phone to her hear, listening to the rings on the other line and counting them silently. On the fifth or sixth one, someone finally answered. "Oh, come on, Freeloader-san… you can't still honestly be looking! Man, you're even more worthless than I thought!"

"You want to come over here and say that to my face, asshole?" Haru demanded. The little boy on the other line sputtered an apology, adding that he would retrieve Urahara promptly. The line went silent for a moment; she couldn't help but laugh as Jinta shouted orders at Ururu and something crashed to the floor amid the chaos. Eventually, things calmed to a dull roar and a familiar voice sounded over the remaining disorder.

"Moshi moshi?"

"Sensei, it's me."

"Ah, Haru-sama… I can assume all is well for you then?"

"As well as can be expected, considering the fact that I can no longer walk the streets of Karakura."

"Sorry I asked," Urahara replied with a casual laugh. She could hear the paper fan unfold on the other end of the line.

"Why did you send that temperamental redhead to find me, anyway? If it was anyone else, you would have just let the situation go."

"Come now, Haru-sama… do you really expect your sensei to just let the matter go? You are a special case, if you recall."

"How could I forget?" she inquired, smiling as an intense wave of sorrow crept over her. The pair remained silent for a time, letting their unspoken words mingle and stew before Haru dared to break the silence. "Sensei…" Her voice quivered as that title died away, leaving an insurmountable void of distance to fill the space between them. "I… I don't believe I have ever wanted to see your face as much as I do right now." Another moment of stillness slipped by, broken only by a sharp breath drawn by Haru as she waited for him to speak. "I feel so lost…"

"I understand how you feel, Haru-sama, but you simply must keep moving forward. Surely, it isn't all bad…" Struggling to compose herself, Haru pushed her glasses onto her head to wipe away the tears she hadn't shed, sliding the back of her hand along her cheek to dry the solitary escapee. All the while, she worked relentlessly to compose herself while leaving Urahara wondering what she was doing in that seemingly eternal silence. "Haru-sama? Are you still there?"

"You don't need to call me that," she murmured softly. "Urahara-sensei, I am truly grateful for everything you have done for me."

"Don't speak so seriously, Haru-sama. It doesn't suit you."

"You're right." Now that the smile was back in her voice, Urahara allowed himself to release a sigh of relief. "Not just about me speaking seriously, either. Things aren't all that bad here. I am getting used to it, even if I miss the way I was living before, and the people I used to know."

"Please, Haru-sama… other than myself, there was only one other person you regularly associated with."

"Is that why you sent Ishida as well?"

"I figured it would be nice to send someone with a familiar face."

"Matte…" Haru paused, sifting through the faint reiatsu in the air and finding one with a rather large trace of darkness in it. "You sent Ichigo?" she inquired in disbelief.

"Nande? Is that a problem?"

"Ano…" Her voice trailed off again, this time due to hesitance rather than sorrow. "I'm not really sure if Byakuya-sama will…"

"You mean to say you are currently a resident at the Kuchiki manor?"

"A temporary resident. Soutaichou-sama was the one who recommended he keep a close eye on me," Haru quickly added, attempting to no avail to maintain the calm, even tone of her voice. "He is only fulfilling orders."

"Then the arrangement is displeasing?"

"No, not at all." A strange feeling washed over her, one that spoke clearly enough for her to almost hear the words. If she uttered one word about being uncomfortable, Urahara would probably be the next one to wind up on Byakuya's doorstep. Being an ex-captain of the thirteen divisions, it would probably be ten times worse than the Kuchiki heir's reaction to Ichigo's presence. "He is very hospitable, and he treats me well enough, though he can be a bit cold at times… that is to be expected. It seems all nobles are that way. But he usually isn't cold to me…"

"Don't be so wavering in your defense of him, Haru-sama! You may give someone the wrong idea!" Even being a dimension apart from him, she could still see that mischievous grin wash over his expression. It took every ounce of effort to bite back a laugh; Urahara had less success in holding back his own. "In all seriousness, though, are you doing all right?"

"What's this? Do I have you worried, sensei? That must be a first. Usually by now, you're arguing with me about calling you sensei because it makes you feel old. If you do not cease and desist with this wasted worry, I might be the reason you start turning gray."

"Come now, you know I can't help it. You were so young when you came into my life, and you left far too soon."

"Coming from you, Urahara-sensei, that sounds so wrong." Haru allowed the laughter she had restrained to escape, and despite the distance between them, sharing her own with the man on the other end of the line made her feel a little closer to the life she left behind. They shared their laughter for a time before the younger of the two fell silent again, causing the elder to quickly follow her due to the solemn air that silence seemed to hold. "Remember the night you found me, sensei?" Urahara considered her words, tried to read the dozens of sentiments in her voice, but all he could discern was an overwhelmingly melancholy nostalgia. "It was raining that night, just like it was when I died. I was so afraid, I almost broke your arm when I hit you, and the whole time, I was crying silent tears of agony and rebellion. You told me to calm down; the look in your eyes said you felt threatened, but even if you were, you made no counterattack. You just set your hand on top of my head and watched as my composure fell to pieces. It was like that with Byakuya-sama, too, but I kept my composure until I had a full stomach and I settled in."

"Is he as perceptive as I was?"

"Are you kidding me?" Haru inquired, leaning against one of the sakura trees and covering her eyes with one hand. "That man is troublesome… he doesn't have a clue. He acted surprised when I fired gatsutaihou…"

"Ah, so you have successfully fired it?"

"Not quite. The recoil put a nasty wound in my right arm, but I'm fine now."

"Does he know about your shikai?"

"Iie; he didn't even know my zanpakutoh was a real sword, or if he did, he acted rather surprised when I drew it. Even so…" Haru fell silent for a moment, leaving her words hanging as she sank into a sitting position. "I cannot blame him for jumping to conclusions. You did tell me to keep a low profile, and I have been doing my best, though I must say the look on Byakuya-sama's face when I cut his wooden sword in half was priceless."

"I can imagine," Urahara put in, cutting off her delighted giggle with her serious tone. "There is one more matter I should mention."

"Nandesuka?" His hesitance was quite obvious; for a time, the ex-captain remained utterly silent. "Sensei, did something happen?"

"The man that hit you with his car, Hanazaki Kousuke… he is employed by the corporation your father once headed." He said nothing for a time, perhaps to allow his words to sink in, before continuing. "You know that because of your mother's prior position in soul society, they did not think very highly of you, and since you were his only child, that made the daughter of a shinigami heir to his fortune and holdings."

"Are you insinuating that my own family, or what's left of them, would make a conspiracy to off me in order to rectify what they considered my father's greatest mistake?"

"It is possible," he replied.

"That man…" Haru paused, piecing together the scene in her mind. As painful as it was, she clung to the only detail she needed before she spoke again. "That man did not purposely kill me; his tears were genuine, and his pallor was induced by shock. Besides, I gave up that name and every right attached to it the day my father died."

"Even so, they provided you with a stipend for two years while you lived on your own."

"I made it clear to them I wanted nothing to do with the company or the name," she responded.

"Still, that doesn't rule out the possibility that someone higher up wanted you dead."

"The only man who wanted me dead was Aizen, and that battle… is far from over." Sensing the tinge of fear rushing through the ex-captain's blood, Haru proceeded to offer a further explanation. "My second day here, an arrancar tried to kill me; that is the only reason I used gatsutaihou." He took in the words, but something about them made things difficult to believe. "I don't believe Aizen is fully aware of my level of skill," she continued, lowering her voice and placing her hand around the receiver, "but if things keep progressing at this rate, I'm not sure how much longer I can hold back."

"Just use good judgment," Urahara sighed.

"Hai, sensei."

"And…" he added in a less serious tone, "if worse comes to worse, you could always beg Byakuya to protect you…"

"You must not be all that worried, then. It is just like you to go from serious to joking at the turn of a screw." In light of their topic, even as dark as their conversation had gotten, Haru's face broke into a smile. She could almost see him, sitting casually by the phone, one hand holding the infamous paper fan that tried vainly to hide the smile, for it rushed across the gray eyes glinting from beneath the shadow cast by his hat. "I swore on the day I left the shop to live on my own that I would never beg a man to help me fight my battles. I intend to remain true to that vow from here on out. Urahara-sensei…"

"Hai, Haru-sama?" he inquired, detecting the coming request in her voice.

"Continue looking into the matter if you see fit. Be thorough enough to ensure Aizen's involvement or lack thereof."

"And if I find your father's relatives were involved?"

"Then I will deal with them," she retorted.

"As you wish, Haru-sama. I have nothing better to do."

"Arigato-gonzaimasu, sensei, though I highly doubt you have nothing better to do."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I've seen that store when Renji isn't around; it's filthy."

"Yes, well… I didn't track you down to discuss my hygiene or my store. I tracked you down to ensure your well-being."

"What are you, my grandpa? Perhaps ojii-san would be a better name for me to call you," Haru shot back, smiling at her wittiness.

"Sounds like you're scolding me for worrying, Haru-sama. You know I can't help myself; we've known each other since you were a baby. Hmm… maybe Byakuya would like to hear some of your embarrassing childhood stories…"

"You wouldn't dare," she responded, knowing full well that Urahara was merely teasing. "He does not think very highly of you, sensei, so I doubt he would believe a word you tell him."

"Where is he keeping you, then, if you are so high and mighty?"

"The main house, if you must know."

"Souka!" he exclaimed, sounding delighted beyond all reason. Despite his light-heartedness and bantering tone, the continuation of his response brought about the death of her smile. "Shame on you, Haru-sama! I thought better of you, but now you tell me you've gotten into his bed…"

"Nani?" she cried, her face turning crimson at its implied context.

"Little Haru-sama has become a woman so fast…"

"But I never said…"

"It seems your fire has the potential to melt his icy heart. You two lovebirds have fun now…"

"I swear to the gods, Urahara Kisuke, the next time we meet, I'll… I'll kill you!" But it was too late; having sensed the danger, Urahara had already hung up, effectively cutting her off from his familiar voice and humiliating banter. Frustrated, she folded the screen of Renji's phone and drew her knees up defensively to hide the blood red color seeping into her cheeks. _Sensei…_ she thought, picking herself up off the ground, _I will do as you ask, but your presumptions are far from accurate. I hope that, for all our sakes, you remain silent and discrete as you always have when looking into such matters._

The moment her hand touched the door, Haru's courage failed her. She had intended to return to Byakuya without delay once her conversation with Urahara was complete, but his words lingered even though his presence didn't. It was with a sigh that she closed the door behind her and turned the other way. After all, it wasn't like he needed her that instant; she would wait until her mortification died down, and then, she would fulfill his request to tell him what she could.

* * *

There... chapter 8. And don't be too horrendously bewildered or upset about Urahara's highly respectful manner of addressing Haru; all will (eventually) be explained! I swear on a stack of Bleach manga (if only I had a stack of Bleach manga... XD) For all intents and purposes, that black shirt thing shinigami wear on top of that white shirt thing is a haori; I spent about half an hour trying to find a happy little diagram to make sense of that bloody uniform, or something similar to it, but to no avail. Don't hurt me... pity the ill fanfic-crazed writer... ..' Again, forgive any spelling errors and such... I am so exhausted right now... but I must keep the fans happy! Very shortly, updates will get pretty sparse due to the upcoming semester... I'll try to have chapter 9 up before then. Thanks again to all! And for those of you who don't know Japanese... (or at least as much as I pretend to know... .) 

Nani : What

Hai : Yes

Ano : Japanese equivalent of "um."

Nandesuka : What is it

Iie : No

Arigato : Thank you

Urusai : Shut up

Baka : Stupid

Arigato-gonzaimasu : Highly formal expression of thanks

Gomen : I'm sorry

Chotto matte : Wait a minute (spelling? Oh well...)

Souka : I see

Onegai : Please

Moshi moshi : A greeting used in phone conversations.

Nande : Why

Ack... so much Japanese... forgive the ill fanfic-induced writer, and look for chapter 9 asap! Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9: Tea

A/N: Amazing that somewhere between about 500 pages of reading and beginning to prep for papers, I found time to write this dainty little ball of fluff (yes, extreme fluff warning ahead). The next chapter is going to be nothing short of hilarious; I swear! Thank you to all my adoring fans; you are very much loved for your support even during these times in which I can probably update about once every week or so. If not for you, I wouldn't still be going; mas kudos to all of you! And (regretfully) I still don't own Bleach...

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_Chapter 9: Tea_

Haru sat in her room with her back to the wall and her knees drawn up, her arms outstretched and leaning over them. Her zanpakutoh leaned faithfully against her shoulder, its silver hoop swinging gently in consolation as the golden rays of the setting sun peered in the window just to her left. Her glasses were still perched atop her head, making the violet tint in her eyes blatant as opposed to subtle. She gazed at the single opening in her room solemnly, trying to put the words of her sensei in the back of her mind, but Haru had no such luck; his banter was forever burned into her memory.

There were footsteps outside her door, then a gentle rap upon its surface far too firm to be that of Keiji, the servant who was supposed to be retrieving her dinner. This visitor, unlike the one she was anticipating, had reiatsu, but it was different than that of a shinigami. "Tokazawa-san, may I come in?"

"Hai," she responded dolefully, watching as the door slid open to reveal a rather concerned looking Ishida carrying a tray of food. "I take it Keiji-san did as I asked him?"

"He gave Renji his phone back, and he said you weren't feeling well. I think it may have troubled Byakuya-san a bit." Shutting the door, the quincy crossed the room and set the tray down, surveying Haru's demeanor and trying to pinpoint her exact emotion. "So, he sent you some rice and some soup. Nobu-san was going to take it, but I asked him if I could do so instead. It gives us me an opportunity to take care of my business with you."

"What business it that?"

"If you eat your meal, then I shall tell you."

"I'm not hungry."

"Tokazawa-san…" Her violet eyes flashed obstinately, drawing a defeated sigh from Ishida as he pushed his glasses up and continued his silent study of her. "Did Urahara-san say something to upset you?"

"No." Even from that shadow, her blush was clear as day to him.

"I won't ask. All I can tell you is that more often than not, Urahara-san speaks boldly and without much thought. You shouldn't take his words too seriously." A sigh was the only response he got, along with a sideways glance that asked him how long he intended to remain. "Tokazawa-san, has… Byakuya-san been treating you well?"

"He is very hospitable. I can't say I have a single complaint about him, except that on occasion, he can be just as troublesome as sensei ever was. Of course, I'm not telling him that." She smiled reassuringly at his frown, taking up the rice-laden bowl and her chopsticks.

"I thought you weren't hungry."

"You always scold me when I refuse to eat, so I'm saving you the trouble. Itadakimasu." Her manner of eating was slow and deliberate; even with white rice, Haru preferred to enjoy the taste and texture as much as she could. If the coming week was anything like the last, she wouldn't have much time to enjoy food until the following Sunday. Then, with a suddenness that startled her only company, she paused and looked critically at Ishida.

"Ano… Tokazawa-san… when you look at me like that, it makes me…"

"Nervous? Don't be," she reassured him. "I was just wondering… what sort of hell Ryuuken put you through to restore your powers." A dark look stole over Ishida's anxiety, a silent caution not to press the subject further. "I understand." Haru took another bite of rice to displace the silence, watching as Ishida pushed his glasses up again as if to remind him of her presence there. "Ishi-nii, what is it you want me to say?"

"Tell me why… tell me why it happened that way."

"I'm afraid I do not understand."

"I can understand if a hollow killed you, or Aizen, or something like that, but a car? Just what possessed you to stop in the middle of a crosswalk long enough for the light to turn green and that car to…" Unable to continue, he bowed his head as a melancholy weighed heavily upon his shoulders. Composed but still disturbed by her silence, Ishida peered at her from behind his glasses to find her eating intently. "How can you be so calm about it?"

"Ishi-nii," she stated, chewing her bite of rice and swallowing it before continuing, "I know it may sound completely and utterly pathetic to someone who has nothing to fear from a name, but I… I couldn't help but stop. I am not even sure if I heard it or not, but I imagined I did; that alone was enough to paralyze me." She cast her eyes aside, shifting slightly due to the discomfort of kneeling on nothing but the bare wood floor. "Killed by my own name... the very name I gave up in order to live a normal life… normal, how I would have liked to experience the meaning behind that word. Instead, I find myself thrust into the middle of a world I cannot even begin to understand, and when I finally feel I have a grasp on walking the fine line between that which I understand and that which I do not, I am disabled from returning to the one you inhabit." There was a touch of difficulty in her voice as she spoke, but otherwise, Haru remained placid as if speaking of her own death was typical. "Do not be fooled by my countenance, Ishi-nii. It saddens me that I will only be able to speak to you like this for a short period, face to face. I almost broke down crying when I spoke with sensei earlier. It all just seems so surreal… even after twelve days of this, I keep wondering when I'll wake up."

The quincy sighed at her demeanor; behind that placidity, the sorrow was almost tangible, but for pride's sake, or for some other reason he could not understand, Haru retained her composure as she finished her rice and began eating the soup. "Why do you still call me that?"

"Because after all these years, you are the closest thing to a brother I have known."

"I'm a quincy, you know."

"And you know I am a shinigami. That never bothered you before." She sipped the broth thoughtfully, enjoying the pungent flavor of ginger and gazing at Ishida through a thin curtain of steam. "Is something wrong?"

"You've changed." Haru smiled intently as she continued her dual task of eating her meal and listening to Ishida. "Even if it has only been twelve days, you seem different somehow… happier. Did something happen?"

"Other than getting hit by a car, no." The doubt was clear in his eyes, but he didn't press the issue; he knew it was good to just let things like that go. His answer would come with time.

"So, if you are feeling fine and Urahara-san didn't say anything to you, then why didn't you eat dinner with the rest of us?"

"Come now, Ishi-nii… you know I am no good with large crowds of people."

"That's not what I hear. Unfortunately for you, Byakuya-san mentioned something about you teaching kidou. A classroom full of shinigami in training would most certainly house a large crowd, far larger than that which Byakuya-san's dining room contained tonight."

"I needed time to think?" she quickly added.

"Nice try, Tokazawa-san, but you're still no good at lying. That's something that will never change." A smile immediately filled her expression, genuine and free of sorrow or worry. Ishida pushed his glasses up, silently observing it with a mixture of awe and admiration before saying, "Now I know something happened. I haven't seen you smile like that since your father died."

"What? Am I not allowed to be happy now?" she inquired with a mock bite of impudence in her tone.

"I… I never meant… Tokazawa-san…" She couldn't help but laugh at the manner in which the quincy grappled with his words while trying vainly to recover from an offense he only briefly believed he had committed. "Tokazawa-san, you're so cruel…"

"Gomen, Ishi-nii… I could not resist." As hard as Ishida tried to be angry with her, he couldn't find the heart to be. Like the matter before, he simply let it go on the wind of a sigh. Haru stirred again, putting a quick end to the remainder of her meal and setting her bowl down before her impatience grew too great for her to bear. "Gochisou sama deshita," she murmured, clapping her hands and bowing her head. "So, this business you have with me… exactly what matter have come to discuss?" Nodding solemnly, Ishida produced a rectangular box hidden somewhere in the folds of his newest quincy attire. After setting it down, he pushed it across the floor to where she could reach it. Every trace of lightheartedness fled from Haru's face as she gazed upon the plain looking structure, and an almost pained expression flitted across it when she rested her hand upon it.

"You no doubt know what this is." She managed a nod of understanding, her eyes clouding swiftly with an incomparable sorrow. "This is all that remains of your father; they are the heirlooms of his clan. Urahara-san advised me to deliver them once we tracked you down. Don't worry; he didn't mention it to Ichigo or the others, and I refrained from doing so even when they inquired the reason for my personal dedication to the matter."

"Arigato," she responded, pressing the box to her chest and allowing her eyes to fall shut. "I appreciate your hard work, Ishida. Please deliver an apology to your companions for whatever trouble this little trip has caused them."

"That isn't necessary. We were all looking for an excuse to get away for a little while."

"I can't imagine why," she retorted, peering at her company momentarily before shutting her eyes again. "Everyone of them have been through enough hell to last five lifetimes, and I can't even begin to imagine what Ryuuken put you through to restore your powers." Ishida visibly winced at the comment, a good indicator that his suffering was just as immeasurable as the rest of them. "Ishi-nii, will it ever end, this perpetual cycle of war? I mean, first it was Soul Society; then, it was the Bounto, and now, it is the Arrancar. When will it end?"

"I can't answer that," Ishida responded, his tone solemn. "But I can say this much: I will do what I can to ensure you survive this war, even if it means laying down my own life."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Ishi-nii, but that isn't necessary. Besides, I cannot in good conscience watch the last quincy perish because he deemed the life of his childhood friend more valuable than his own." The smile that overcame her expression bewildered him beyond all reason; rather than one of bliss, it was one teeming with an untold quantity of determination. "I have no intention of dying, so you needn't worry about it, all right?"

"As you say, Tokazawa-san."

"You sounded a bit hesitant."

"This conversation has become quite unsettling," Ishida admitted. "It isn't the kind of thing I saw myself discussing with you when I saw you again, but… I admit I never thought I would find you in the main house of the Kuchiki estate, either." Haru nodded her head in understanding.

"I'm afraid I am just as bewildered as you are over the matter; I don't know why he still insists on keeping me here."

"Perhaps because he fears Aizen will target you."

"He already has once; I expect him to do so again soon," Haru said with a calmness that caused the quincy to visibly shudder.

"You can be so calm about these things…"

"That is because I grew up watching the people I loved die."

"Honestly, can we talk about something that isn't so… serious?" Ishida requested. With a heavy sigh, Haru threw her gaze to the corner, listening to the gentle sways of her zanpakutoh's square silver link as she mused over her current situation. Now that she thought about it, there was nothing even remotely trivial or funny about being targeted by an ex-captain with twice the normal reiatsu of typical captains who happened to possess the hougyoku. With an army of arrancar at his beck and call, Aizen was the last person she should be taking lightly. "Tokazawa-san?"

"Nani?" she asked.

"Are you… really happy here?" There it was again… his inexplicable hesitance, almost as if he was afraid to offend her. Her violet gaze wandered back to his, trying to find his eyes behind the glimmer of his glasses, but the effort was futile.

"It brings back memories… of better days." Some urgent notion flickered across her gaze, and with an abruptness that startled Ishida, she darted across the room, tucking her possessions away in a safe place, before putting a hand on the door. "Gomen, Ishi-nii… it's getting late, and I should probably get my bath."

"Of course. I apologize for delaying you."

"We should talk again tomorrow. Perhaps Byakuya-sama will let me have the day off since his vice captain has returned." He nodded his head in consideration, mounting the window sill as his preferred escape route as he gazed back at Haru's figure in the doorway. "You will relay my appreciation to your companions, I hope?"

"Hai."

"Then there is nothing more to say. Oyasuminasai, Ishi-nii."

"Oyasuminasai."

Once his shadow was gone and his reiatsu began growing fainter, Haru set to her task; by now, she had a flawless recollection of the way to the bath. What she didn't expect was to bump into a shadow just as she was rounding the corner. It took her a moment to realize who exactly at was, and judging from the look in his eyes, he was none too pleased with her. "Sumimasen, Byakuya-sama. I was just on my way to the bath… if you don't mind…" Her words became awkward as Urahara's banter forced itself into her memory, drawing a distinct and quite apparent redness to her cheeks that failed to escape the scrutinizing gaze of the Kuchiki heir. "I… had better…"

"You owe me several explanations, Haru. I expect them all when you are finished." Byakuya quirked a brow at her peculiar behavior, deeming it a product of an unknown cause, but not one to let a perfectly good opportunity go to waste, he raised a hand and swiftly pressed the back of it against the awkward girl's forehead. Her blush intensified threefold when their eyes met, hers questioning the hidden motives lurking in his. "It appears you owe me one more, namely, the real reason you failed to make an appearance at dinner." With the same casualness he used in everyday duty, he allowed his hand to slip away, avoiding further contact as he stepped past his paralyzed and befuddled guest. "Hurry along now. I expect you to be timely; duty requires that I be up at dawn."

"H… hai!" Byakuya turned around just in time to see her dart out of view, nearly tripping on her own feet for the same reason that likely inflicted such an intense crimson fire on her typically placid demeanor. To see the composed and graceful Tokazawa Miharu in such an awkward and intense moment of clumsiness drew the faintest smile to his lips. It remained with him as he meandered towards his own bath; having finally rid himself of his less desirable guests, he felt it necessary to put it as far behind him as the vaporous fingers would allow. As he reached the threshold, the door opened on its own.

"Impeccable timing, Kuchiki-sama… I have just finished drawing your bath," replied the servant as he stepped aside and dropped his head in a bow. "Is there anything else you need?" Byakuya loosened his scarf, regarding his underling with the slightest touch of thanks ghosting across his gaze. Once rid of it, he began unclipping the kenseiken; for some reason, he did some of his best thinking when fighting with the unruly hairpiece.

"Come to think of it, there is one thing I require." The servant waited expectantly as Byakuya turned, trying his best to hide his incredulity at the smile flickering across his master's midnight eyes. "Though it is not my custom to drink tea after dinner, I find myself craving it. Deliver some to my quarters in roughly half an hour."

"As you wish, sir. Are you in the mood for anything in particular?"

"As a matter of fact," he muttered after successfully coaxing the remaining clips to release his obsidian locks, "I am in the mood for something sweet…"

The hall was just as easy to walk at night as it was during the day, but on that particular night, Haru found it exceedingly difficult to continue forward, towards her host's quarters, where he would likely employ any method he deemed fit for extracting answers of her. Despite her expectations, the bath had done nothing to cool her burning mortification, nor had it deadened the words of Urahara that stewed relentlessly in her mind. _Kuso… why did you say those things, sensei? How can I look him in the eye after that? _Even in that house, she was not immune to misery, no matter how mild it may have been, and at the moment, its menacing fingers were working over every conceivable scenario in her mind to create a picture of inevitable misfortune. _I could anger him, or step on his pride. Gods willing I avoid doing so… I have no desire to be cast aside by my host._

There was no getting around it; Haru squeezed the sword between her hands when she came to his door, and taking a breath to fully ready herself, she pushed the door open, sliding silently in as she did every night. "Sit," he ordered, his eyes laden with a faint impatience.

"Byakuya-sama, I…"

"Do not argue," he stated, motioning to the pillow situated directly across from the one he presently knelt on. "If you do, the tea will get cold."

"Tea?" she echoed. In the faint light of the shrinking moon, she could just pick out the tray positioned between his seat and that which he intended to be hers. The silhouette of one tea pot and two cups was clearly visible. Come to think of it, that was the one thing he mistakenly forgot to send with dinner. With that thought, she pushed her glasses up and paced forward, setting her sword aside and bowing her head beneath his critical gaze.

"Haru-kun, did Urahara Kisuke say something to upset you?"

"Ask me anything but that," she requested, folding her hands and setting her jaw to augment her refusal. "If you force me to answer, then I will kindly request your assistance in seppuku… immediately." Byakuya knew he had touched a nerve, which served as a relatively good indication that the ex-captain _had _said something. The only unresolved question was, what exactly had he said? He silently mused over the possibilities, analyzing her reaction to him earlier as he filled the tea cups and held one in front of her eyes.

"Drink."

"But I don't…"

"Have I not already told you to refrain from arguing?" Sighing at his stubbornness, Haru took the cup from her host, raising it to her lips for a silent drink of whatever it contained. After a few moments, the flavor worked its way into every nook and cranny of her mind. Incredulously, she lowered the cup, staring at it for a moment before taking another drink to affirm the reality of it. Once the realization sunk in, Haru's free hand rose to her cheek, her now placid violet eyes fell shut, and a gradual smile fluttered across her expression. "Does the taste please you?"

"It's heavenly," she managed, swaying slightly where she sat and taking no notice of the hand that reached out to stabilize her. "However did you guess it was my favorite?"

"It was obvious." Having ascertained Haru's stability, the Kuchiki proceeded to sip his own tea while silently observing her reaction as she continued her own. She couldn't see the faint smile pulling at his own lips; not in the dark, and certainly not with her eyes closed. Therefore, he allowed it to surface briefly before shifting his gaze to the shrinking moon. "When you mentioned it this afternoon, I assumed you either never had sakura tea, or you held it in high esteem over other varieties. The latter seems to have been the correct assumption; either way, I was correct in predicting your reaction."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her eyes shooting open, a serious glimmer working its way into the flood of enjoyment. "You didn't have to let me come back; you didn't even have to let me stay the first night, and now, you are sitting here with me, drinking tea that probably costs more than my rent and utilities for a full month because it is out of season. Why would you do something like that?" Byakuya considered it as he sipped his tea, examining the silvery moon hanging in the night sky. "Do you intend to answer?"

"Because you are my guest, and it is my job to make you comfortable."

"Perhaps, but would you willingly share your bed with Ichigo the same way you do with me?" He couldn't help but grimace at her impudence; the thought forced its way into his mind before he could prevent it, inflicting an unseen scar that was quickly displaced by the burning curiosity in Haru's gaze. "Byakuya-sama… just answer that one question, and I will be content."

"First, tell me why Urahara sent six unlikely visitors to my doorstep unannounced merely to track you down."

"Hell if I know," Haru retorted, sipping her tea as she gauged precisely how much anger flitted into his eyes at the expletive. "Urahara-sensei always worried about me; the gods themselves probably cannot even begin to guess his motives." In that moment, the fury in his gaze altered slightly, drawing Haru's attention in spite of the tea's euphoric affects. Byakuya silently dared her to speak, to take audible notice of it, and like her mother before her, she was never one to turn down a dare, even one that remained unspoken. "Do you see sensei as a threat?"

"That is ridiculous."

"You do, you don't you?"

"I do not…"

"Then why do you seem envious of him? Because he knows me better than you, or because you think I may have gotten this close to him in my six years under his roof?"

"Both of your hypotheses are preposterous." His control was beginning to slip; he knew it as well. Just a trace of extra reiatsu spilled out, so faint that the only one who would likely take note was the quincy, but Haru noticed. She sipped her tea thoughtfully for a moment, making him believe she had sensed nothing, hiding her eyes by closing them and pretending to enjoy the flavor and aroma of her tea (she didn't have to try hard).

"I never slept beside him the way I do you, Byakuya-sama." He gazed at her through his stoic midnight eyes, taking note of the fire that had since returned to her cheeks in spite of the tea's therapeutic affects. "Outside of training me, he became something like a father figure. He was no replacement for the real thing, but I can honestly say that he took pleasure in having someone rely on him for survival and guidance. As he knew both my mother and father, he minded his distance, but on the rare occasion that I was having a difficult night in achieving sleep, he would sit with me until I drifted off. I would trust him with my life if the situation called for it."

"And the quincy?" Haru quirked a brow at the sudden shift between subjects. "It is my understanding that you two know each other relatively well. He expressed no surprise when I disclosed information about your abilities regarding kidou, nor did he hesitate to relieve my servant of his duties and deliver your dinner. He stayed for quite some time, if I am not mistaken."

"He is a childhood friend," she stated. "We had things to discuss; it was nothing more than that."

"I find your choice in friends rather peculiar." Byakuya couldn't even begin to understand the smile that crossed her expression as his comment died away on the silent stillness of night; all he knew was that she seemed truly happy on the surface. "Why would a noble associate with such people?"

"I am no noble, Byakuya-sama; I am just a girl." Haru sipped her tea with a bit more of a serious face while she again contemplated her situation. _How long… _she thought. _How long can I keep living this way? _It didn't matter, nor should it have; the moment provided her with more happiness than she had ever possessed in life. For that reason, she let the matter go and called to mind the question he left unanswered. "I suppose why doesn't matter," she murmured, sighing in defeat as she drained her cup. "I am content, and as long as it is no inconvenience to you, I shall keep coming back." He couldn't help but smile inwardly at those words, but no trace of it showed in his expression or gaze. Instead, he set his empty cup aside, fixing his serious eyes on her own as he tried to see past the glint playing upon her glasses.

"Urahara… said something to you concerning your current residence that made you uncomfortable. Am I wrong in making this assumption, Haru-kun?"

"Please don't bring it up. You will spoil the mood."

"I have ways of forcing the answer out of you. Do not forget, I know your weakness, and I know where you sleep."

"Do as you will; I refuse to speak… ardently." His brow arched in curiosity, a somewhat mischievous light playing on his midnight eyes. Haru reached a hand up, and to his surprise removed the only thing concealing her violet gaze, which at the moment looked cautious yet pleading and resolute. The same smile tugged at the corners of her mouth; when combined with her eyes, the result was rather unsettling. She stirred slightly when he began to move, a warning flickering across her eyes before they became placid again. A silent question passed between them, a silent answer was given, and with an almost painful slowness, Byakuya's head descended into her lap. All that followed was a silent sigh of defeat as the nobleman watched Haru set her glasses aside.

"Why do you refuse to tell me this one simple matter?"

"Because I do not wish to lose what we have." She was avoiding his eyes again, casting them anywhere but the one place they were most desired. He shifted his position slightly, drawing a slight gasp of surprise from Haru; once he was stationary, he could sense the subtle tremble that must have continually worked its way through her body. He had felt it earlier, when he had kept her from falling. His questioning gaze indicated this observation, but Haru remained obstinate. No words passed through her lips, only the gentle breaths she hoped would soon displace her tremor.

"I must ask you why you insist on coming back, Haru-kun, if it makes you this uncomfortable."

"Byakuya-sama…"

"Do not force yourself to abide by your words. I will not make you stay if you are suffering because of it."

"But Byakuya-sama…"

"Please tell me why." Startled by his countenance, Haru's every argument died away as a clear sheen of tears worked its way into her gaze. "Did I say something to offend you?" The loose ends of the locks framing her face waved gently as she shook her head in a negative response. "Then… nandesuka?" Whatever had upset her was a minor matter; either that, or she had grown used it over years and years of continual exposure. She calmed herself before speaking again, resting her hands on either side of his head and dropping her gaze so it bore straight into that of her host.

"I don't want it to end," she answered. "What we have… it differs from anything I have ever known. Urahara-sensei was something like a father to me after both of my parents were dead, and Ishi-nii… he was and still is a loyal ally. Those types of things, I can give them names, but what we have… what should I call it? Is it friendship, camaraderie? Does it even have a name, Byakuya-sama, or am I simply wasting my time in my endeavors to find one?" Haru paused for a moment to glance at the moon, which was nearly out of view. Decisively, she dropped her eyes to those of her host again. Seeing the intent glimmer in his gaze, one that clearly revealed it a pleasure rather than a burden to listen to her, was reassuring enough to draw a continuation. "I know I cannot stay here forever. I know that one day, I will be assigned to a squad, and I will have to leave. It is for that reason that… I now think me coming here every night since I got here is causing me more harm than good, and your acceptance of me…"

"Are you saying you wish to leave?" The weight left her lap at the drop of a pin, but he put no distance between them. His palm rested at the corner of the pillow she was seated on, and though his back was to her, Byakuya turned his head enough so his right eye was visible. "Then leave." Those words were enough to scatter her sense, not to mention her recollection of Urahara's brash statements concerning their relationship made just hours before. She wrapped her arms obstinately around his own, and her forehead pressed against his shoulder, keeping her gaze hidden from his own. "Haru…"

"Were you listening when I told you I didn't want to lose what we have, or are you just pretending you didn't?" The tenseness drifted out of the arm she clung to, drawing the gaze of one single violet eye; the other remained shrouded by the sleeve of his kimono. "I cannot see myself being anywhere else at the moment but by your side. That damn Urahara just reminded me of it, though I think he may have used the wrong context of 'sleeping together' when he spoke regarding the matter. It's funny how well he still knows me, even two years after I put myself out of his little abode." The one violet eye fell shut, mainly to conceal her absolute mortification, but when she looked at Byakuya again, all she saw was the same understanding he continually showed her, mingling with a placid contentment that showed no indicator of him actually wanting her to leave. A gentle sigh escaped her, cutting through the fabric of his sleeve and falling against his arm. "What should I call it, Byakuya-sama?"

The Kuchiki heir pondered for a moment, but not about her question. "We should get some sleep." Haru nodded in agreement, relinquishing her grip on his arm and keeping her eyes averted. She collected the tea cups in silence, setting them on the tray and placing it in the hallway before joining her host beneath the warm covers of his futon. "Why do you insist on cleaning it up yourself?"

"I have grown used to it," she responded, resting her head in the crook of her right elbow as she peered thoughtfully at her host, whose eyes held a rather unsettling curiosity in them that he dared not speak of. "Byakuya-sama… would you… mind if I moved closer?" He considered the matter for a moment, then nodded silently in response. Thankful that the darkness concealed her burning blush, Haru arranged herself so her arms were folded between her body and his own, using his left arm as a pillow. For a moment, she allowed her eyes to fall shut, until she felt his right arm fall across her as it had a week ago. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," he replied in monotone as his hand worked at the restraint in her hair. Soon, the gold ribbon loosened, the restrictive fabric was pulled away, and her still slightly damp locks fell free. Haru watched him incredulously as he tossed it aside, taking one tress between his fingers and scrutinizing it with his touch. With fatigue washing over her as it was, she found herself too tired to argue with his ministrations. "You should wear it down."

"I can't."

"Nande?"

"It is tradition on my father's side that women of his family grow their hair until they marry, and that no man save her groom can see it until then." Byakuya continued just as he had, allowing the single tress to slide through his fingers until he reached the tip, trying to gauge more of her reaction than the clear blush in her cheeks.

"I suppose that makes us engaged."

"It's too late for your joking," she groaned, nuzzling his shoulder and shutting her eyes. "You're so troublesome… the most troublesome man I have ever met."

"Yet you insist on sleeping beside me," he quipped.

"A valid point." They fell silent for a moment, until Byakuya's hand meandered along her spine and drew Haru into her typical state.

"I could be doing worse, you know…" Her fist closed around the fabric of his sleeping kimono as a strained gasp escaped her, both quivering due to her own silent resistance. A powerless glimmer overcame her gaze when he reversed his direction, drawing her even closer than she had been as she cowered in an attempt to escape his touch. A moment of stillness gave Haru enough composure for her to mutter a threat in the most serious tone she could muster.

"I don't give a damn if you are a noble; I'll crack your skull open before you can say sakura tea."

"Sakura tea," he responded, continuing his torment while fighting off the smile that flitted across his face. Something in her quenched the burning desire to prove him wrong that welled up at his bold retort, and she succumbed entirely to the touch once she stabilized her breathing, still watching him with helpless eyes. "I have a serious question for you, Haru-kun. Are you listening?"

"As well as I can," she murmured in response, cringing slightly as the fingers brushed over her left shoulder. He composed the remainder of his boldness and uttered the question that had lingered on his mind for several days.

"Tell me, have you ever kissed a man?"

"What motivation do you have for asking me such a question at this late hour, Byakuya-sama?" Haru demanded, giving no indicator of her offense other than the slight sharpness in her tone. The Kuchiki heir mused over it for a moment before delivering his reply.

"I was merely curious; there is no need for you to get offended."

"Is that all?" It was more an affirmation than a question, so he remained silent long enough to signal his understanding. "If you must know, then no, I haven't. Honestly… you ask some of the strangest questions. Did you get too hot in the bath again?"

"It is possible." She seemed content enough with that to close her eyes, even as Byakuya's hand pressed against the middle of her back. "Oyasuminasai, Haru-kun," he murmured, receiving only a sound of understanding and a slight adjustment that brought her that much closer in reply. After clearing the hair from her face, Byakuya let his own eyes fall shut, smiling briefly as he mused over what a picture of contentment they must have been to whatever gods looked down on them.

* * *

Weee... what fun. Sleeping is what I'm about to do. Oh, and a note on Sakura Tea... I actually TRIED cherry blossom tea the other day... it turned out to be inexpensive and sort of tart... but who cares, right? It was still nothing short of heavenly... oh, the irony... ' I send you all of with a Japanese lesson and a promise that the next chapter will be up asap (probably next weekend):

Ano : Japanese um

Itadakimasu : I receive (said before a meal)

Gomen : Sorry

Nani : What

Hai : Yes

Oyasuminasai : Good night (said right before going to bed)

Kuso : A Japanese swear word! I think it's sht... at least, that's what the fansubs tell me. '

Nandesuka : What is it

Nande : Why

Wow... for some reason, fluff chapters always have less Japanese... wtf? Anywho, hope you enjoyed, and like I said, look for chapter 10 soon. Thanks again to all!


	10. Chapter 10: Thieves

A/N: HOLY MOTHER! IT'S THE MOTHER OF ALL CHAPTERS! Seriously, I debated splitting this one up until I remembered how everyone reviewing said they lurved long chapters, so here it is, by popular demand... the one chapter... TO RULE THEM ALL! I am nicknaming chapter ten the BFC (Big Fwoking Chapter) because it is roughly 13,250 words long without the a/n and the Japanese lesson. And I will not apologize for the length because this is what you ALL wanted! So if you suffer, don't come crying to me... ok, I'm sorry. ' But a crapload of important stuff goes down, and I promise you will all enjoy it...

Before you get to the body, I'm afraid I must put you through several matters of business. First, I dedicate this chapter to my Onee-chan, who regretfully has no account and does not pursue fanfic as fervently as I do. She has, however, been supportive and given me much encouragement, especially regarding this particular chapter. Second, this is roughly based on something that happens in episode 15 of Peacemaker Kurogane... if you haven't seen it, just go and randomly watch that episode, for it is by far the greatest filler in the history of anime. It has everything a good filler needs: mischief, man legs, and yaoi implications (but no actual yaoi, so fear not, yaoi-haters. ) Finally, in response to ixamxeverywhere's review, I hereby post a new disclaimer: I, the author, am in no way to be held responsible for any negative consequences of reading this fanfiction, or any other, while the reader is engaged in employment of any kind, whether paid or unpaid. This includes public education, higher education, lower education, and, as a special note, anything that constitutes as an occupation (i.e. work). So... there you have it. The longest author's note to go with my longest chapter. Here it is, and please enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 10: Thieves 

It was curious to Ishida that the nature of Seireitei mornings was so placid. The stars flickered faintly overhead, bidding farewell to their period of observance as day prepared to break. He stared into the astounding heavens, that unending velvet that inspired only questions and never gave a single answer. And that stillness, that lingering moment of tension just before the brilliant white orb of the sun peered over the graying horizon and dyed it crimson with night's dying blood… whether in the human world or Soul Society, that single instant was always worth getting up a little earlier than his comrades. A gentle wind fluttered through the stationary air around him, not disrupting his musing until it carried a faint trace of nearing reiatsu upon it. Soon, her soft steps became audible as she crossed the estate, coming to sit directly next to the bewildered quincy. "Tokazawa-san, why are you… up so early?"

"Am I not allowed to enjoy a cup of tea while I watch the sun rise?"

"I… iie, that is to say…" Ishida cleared his throat to sweep away the awkward words, pushing his glasses up his nose as he silently regarded the shinigami sitting next to him. "What brings you here?"

"It has been a while since we drank tea together, Ishi-nii." She set the tray down between them with a resolution that effectively quenched every aspect of his rebellion. He listened to the tea as it descended into its container and took the cup that was offered to him, examining the feathery fingers of steam as they curled about the cool morning air. Haru poured herself a cup and proceeded to drink it. "I wish I had more mornings like this, where I could just sit and watch the sun come up, not a care in the world, but it always ends the same way. I always return to that inevitable reality that I am being hunted."

"It's too early for this," Ishida argued, stilling the girl before she could continue. He took a sip of tea, coughing slightly as the intense flavor overwhelmed him. "What in the name of the gods is it?"

"Ginger," she replied. "Nande? Do you not like it?"

"I would have appreciated fair warning," he retorted, returning to the feat at hand. The second sip wasn't nearly as bad as the first, but the dual sensation of heat stung his throat as he swallowed it. He regarded his companion with tentative eyes, noting that she was already in full uniform, her zanpakutoh tucked into the side of the obi tied about her hakama for the sake of carrying the tea. "Is something going to happen today?"

"Perhaps," she replied, throwing her violet eyes at the stars. "One never knows these days what will happen when one wakes up."

"Indeed." It was around that time that Ishida noticed something peculiar regarding her countenance. The smile on her face was different than it had been the previous evening, almost as if it carried a quality of crafty mischief that far surpassed the quincy's understanding. Shrugging it off as a product of his somewhat groggy mind, he sipped his tea and looked again only to find that her eyes held the same innocuous, wayward quality, more or less in the form of a faint glint pushing past the typical placidity of her eyes. There was something else mingled with it, a faint trace of a dying darkness that no sun could disperse. "Were you having trouble sleeping?"

"A little." Haru tipped her tea cup, examining the manner in which the starlight played on the surface of its contents while that same light played across her own gaze. "I know it sounds foolish, to be so afraid of your own name, but it could very well cost me everything I now possess right down to any chances of getting into the thirteen divisions. It will not only be the death of my physical body. If implemented in the right way…" Her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper as her violet eyes wandered to Ishida, who listened intently and with nothing short that complete understanding. "If implemented in the right way, it could also kill my soul."

"But aside from myself, Urahara-san is the only other person who has knowledge of it and access to Soul Society."

"This is true," she responded. "I suppose I have nothing to worry about at the moment." Then, with a cheeriness that displaced all save the knavish glint in her eyes, she returned to sipping her tea. The sun peered over the horizon at its two watchers, immersing itself in the red end of night. She regarded it wistfully as a flood of dark memories clouded the dawn and made it more a hellish torture than an awesome phenomenon.

"Tokazawa-san, you can't keep dwelling on these things."

"What about you, Ishi-nii? Haven't you held on to the memory of your sensei?" The words brought a hint of grief to his face, but to compensate, he pushed his glasses up his nose. "You're troublesome."

"Nani?" he cried. "What brought that on all of a sudden?"

"You're a walking contradiction. You say you hate shinigami, yet you raise your bow beside them. You have vowed vengeance on those responsible for his death, yet I share their occupation, I whom you have sworn to protect. And I can name more than three occasions on which you spared me injury or death, once at your own expense."

"Your argument seems to be based mainly on my allegiance to you," he responded, causing Haru to delve questioningly into his gaze. The glare on his glasses prevented her from seeing the blue eyes lurking beneath them. "Know that I do not count you entirely as a shinigami." A trace of anger burned through her veins, threatening to scatter her composure and disturb the remaining fragments of peace, but seeing as he was technically right since she had not been assigned to a division, she released her fury on a single sigh and continued sipping her tea in silence.

"No matter what you count me as, it does not alter my fate. If I live long enough, I will become a full-fledged shinigami with a division and a seat. What, then, will you do?" Ishida did not respond but instead busied himself with observing the sunrise and enjoying the flavor of his tea. "Will you abandon me?"

"I couldn't."

"Because of duty."

"Because of pride," he retorted, draining his cup and holding it out to Haru, who set her own aside to pour him another. "To abandon a friend, one who considers me her brother despite being related only by circumstance and not by blood at all, is not the way the quincy do things." Haru seemed to take reassurance in his words rather than the offense he expected. Shifting her eyes to the crimson eastern sky, the shinigami sighed as the simple pleasure of watching the sun rise while indulging in one of her favorite beverages overcame her. "Are you certain… you wish to stay here?"

"I find nothing disagreeable about the arrangement; therefore, I have no reason to change it." Ishida nodded his head, considering her words and her tone while becoming lost in that tiny facet of mischief still darting around her eyes. Her smile confirmed it; something was definitely going to happen that day, but the matter of what precisely that something was eluded the quincy entirely. It was pointless to deliberate with himself since only Haru seemed to know the details, so he contented himself with her company. To see her smile so soon after her own demise was both refreshing and disquieting, yet to hear her speak of Aizen as if he was nothing more than a trivial threat far overshadowed the anxiety brought to life by her expression. "Is something troubling you, Ishi-nii?"

"Your recklessness, that's what." She gave him a puzzled look before she recalled her words concerning Aizen the night before, a brief yet incredibly unorthodox reaction to a man who would sooner see her dead than alive.

"It is one of my less desirable traits," she said casually. "I must get it from my mother; even otousan's vast reasonability cannot overcome it." Haru downed the rest of her tea in a gulp, setting the cup down on the tray and rising with inexplicable determination. Her sword hung between her hands, its silver rectangular hoop dancing and flickering in the growing sunlight, winking with untold meanings that Ishida had no skill in deciphering.

"Leaving so soon?"

"I have to practice. Lately, she has been rather adamant of my idleness." She shifted her sword to indicate her meaning, the mischief in her smile unwavering. After bowing her head slightly, Haru head and darted back into the shadows from whence she came, leaving a bewildered Ishida with two empty tea cups and the steadily rising sun as his only company.

Breakfast progressed in complete silence; whereas Haru was focused on her own secret agenda, the remainder of the dining room's occupants distractedly consumed their meal. They couldn't all help but attempt to analyze the young girl sitting to Byakuya's left, vexed with curiosity as they were. Byakuya shared their irritated mood, though it was more subtle due to his composed façade, and furthermore differed entirely in its cause. "Taichou," Renji said, not being able to stand the still, tense silence any longer, "you seem a little agitated. Did something happen?" Byakuya's brow twitched in annoyance as he lowered his tea cup without having taken a drink and shut his eyes to hide the fury bubbling within them.

"Sometime during the night, my scarf went missing. I don't suppose you know where it went, Abarai Renji?"

"I… iie, of course not," Renji stammered, wincing visibly at the use of his full name. "Why would I know where it went?"

"It was merely a question," responded the Kuchiki heir in the same even tone.

"It's because you let your guard down," Ichigo retorted, but his comment was either unheard or ignored entirely in light of a more dire irritation. Besides, recompense was swiftly dealt by Rukia, who punched him hard enough in the arm to knock him into a silent Chad that was unfortunate enough to be sitting beside him. "Baka, whad'ya do that for?"

"Just shut up and eat," she said calmly, returning to her scrutiny of the visitor. Haru kept her eyes closed, sipping her tea with some sort of composed ecstasy as if it was the only thing she lived for. The meal was drawing to an end, leaving Rukia very little time left to spend in scrutiny. She bordered being too composed, and if not for the underlying hint of something or other that occasionally flashed across her often concealed silvery gaze, she would have thought the young girl some kind of stoic. _That reiatsu… is peculiar somehow, but so controlled that I'm unsure of what exactly makes it so. Nii-sama… what exactly is it that you see in her? She seems no different than Ichigo to me… another prodigy that once walked a line between two worlds. More composed, yes, but I can detect no clear difference in strength, and if I am correct, she has not yet reached bankai. I wonder…_

"Haru." The eyes were open in a flash, fixed almost devotedly on the man who was labeled as her host and her keeper. "I find your absence this morning rather troubling and your tardiness to breakfast more troubling still. I presume you have valid reasons for both?"

"Of course," she responded, taking a calm sip of her tea before thrusting the full weight of her gaze onto the Kuchiki heir. "I was drinking tea and resolving a lingering disquiet of mine. If you wish to validate my alibi, just ask Ishi-nii."

"It is as she says," the quincy put in, pushing his glasses decisively up the bridge of his nose but giving her a rather tentative look from behind them. He was unaware of the incredulous looks he was now receiving, the result of Haru's familial manner of addressing him.

"'Ishi-nii?'" echoed Rukia and Ichigo in unison, while Renji simply raised a brow and allowed his expression to do the talking. He couldn't help but feel the oppressive hands of awkwardness and irritation tugging at his composure while Renji worked to stifle his laugh; Ichigo was far less successful in doing so.

"Does that make her your sister, Ishida-kun?" Orihime inquired. "You two look nothing alike. In fact, I think it's safe to say you have nothing in common."

"It is a matter of history," Ishida replied, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose again.

"History, eh? A sly dog is what you are," Renji stated, grinning amusedly as a visible blush crept into the quincy's cheeks. "Sounds serious… what sort of history are we talking about?" No longer was Ishida the only one made uncomfortable by the subject, for the host himself gave a disquieted stir at the turn the unwelcome conversation had taken. "What's with you being all quiet? Aren't you going to justify yourself?"

"He has no reason to," Haru retorted, sipping her tea with an almost frightening calm, "nor does your interrogation." A dangerous smile flitted across her lips as her eyes fell shut, creating a convincing illusion of gentility and elation. "If you fail to cease and desist, I'll be forced to crack your skull open." Even her tone held a certain level of cheer that intensified as Renji's countenance shifted from horror to wild fury in less than three seconds.

"Nani?" he stammered, the tenor of his voice disclosing his dual reaction. "Who the hell d'you think you are threatening me? I'll kick your ass any day of the week!"

"That is unnecessary, Renji," Byakuya retorted, silencing his vice captain effectively by coupling his verbal command with a firm, cold gaze. He was relieved when it fell to the girl sitting at his side, who looked away the moment it fell upon her. "As for you, I ask that you show him some degree of respect. He is, after all, my vice captain; at this hour, I cannot afford to go through the ardors of replacing him." She only gave a nod in response; something in her gaze acknowledged the fact that she had overstepped her bounds, something so genuine that it could not have been counterfeit. He contented himself with that to the best of his abilities, but his own mild concern got the best of him. "You seem distracted."

"It's nothing." Haru's eyes skimmed over the faces before her, falling at last to that of her host before she uttered the closing remark and clapped her hands together. "Is my aid really necessary today, Byakuya-sama? I have something to engage myself with if my absence will not cause you excessive trouble." He nodded his ascent, watching discretely as she lifted her sword and tried to avoid the eyes that followed her as she crossed the room. Her escape was eminent, certain, until a voice stopped her.

"Matte." The request came from Ichigo, whose chocolate eyes had suddenly become serious enough to freeze fire. Slowly, Haru turned back, peering thoughtfully at him from behind her glasses as he studied her face with the same level of contemplation. The hint of recognition began to grow. "Aren't you… that girl who got hit by a car?" It was a blunt question, one that managed to rouse the fading traces of tension that were slowly succumbing to calm peace. Revived to a level that was unparalleled, the silence was finally broken by a tone laden with implicit threat.

"Kurosaki…"

"It's fine," she interrupted, casting a grateful glance at the quincy. "I don't mind him asking, though I am a bit surprised you remember me. You only saw me twice."

"Twice?" The first occasion was rather obvious; being prone to distractions as he was, he had bumped into her once in the hallway, casting the books and papers filling her arms in every direction. Before he could even apologize, she swiftly provided one of her own and began to collect her things, keeping her silver eyes to the floor even when he silently began to aid her. She said it wasn't necessary, that she could get them herself. "It was just as much my fault as yours," Ichigo had returned, lifting the final volume, a thin, leather-bound volume of poetry, and placed it in her hands. She thanked him, smiling timidly yet genuinely before continuing in the direction of the library. To the extent of his knowledge, Tokazawa Miharu was just a highly intelligent, anti-social girl from another class who on occasion ate lunch with Ishida; clearly, he had been mistaken in thinking her ordinary.

"You probably do not recall the second time. It was dark, and the situation was dire." Haru watched the memory creep into his eyes. A nameless shadow, the clash of metal and moonlight, her eyes flashing vividly out of the darkness as she turned her blade towards yet another hollow while regarding his lack of composure with an unsettling placidity. By the time Ichigo came around, his head still swimming as his inner hollow put him through psychological hell and uttering a silent thanks to the gods that his companions couldn't see him struggle, she managed to take down a number of them, but at a price. Her arm was cut and bleeding, her glasses lay smashed on the pavement somewhere, her hair flew wildly about as she whirled about in a waltz that contained no unpractical movements. With such an intense gaze, and with the weight of his own burdens bearing down on him, Ichigo could only watch as she sliced the very darkness with it.

"That was _you_?" The only response she gave was a smile laden with secrecy before she once more turned to exit.

"Haru." This time, it was her host's voice that made her pause. Suppressing her sigh of impatience was difficult, but she managed to do so as she turned to face him. "I presume that you, too, are unaware as to the whereabouts of my scarf?"

"Most regretfully," she replied, "but if you would like me to, I will keep an eye out for it."

"If you please." Haru bowed briefly as the opportunity to escape seized her. With light steps barely audible, she exited the dining room, shutting the door behind her before bounding off to fulfill her own duties.

The end of breakfast also brought about the end of Haru; even Ishida failed to find her when he set his mind to it. "I want to speak to her, and I would feel better doing so without Nii-sama around," Rukia insisted, but that was right before traipsing off to the headquarters of division thirteen, where Ukitake Jyuushiro was expecting her to report in less than twenty minutes. When Ichigo expressed similar desires and Orihime asserted her wish that Haru to try some of her newest dessert, cream-filled chocolate-curry yam cake, he assented to aid them in their search. At some point, she must have either left the estate or lowered her reiatsu to a level undetectable even to him. After several hours of searching turned up nothing, the four of them (with Chad as quiet as ever) retired to their temporary dwelling to muse over where she may have gotten off to.

It was chance that allowed Ishida to escape for a moment; he used the escape of needing a breath of fresh air, but he actually checked in the one place he had failed to during the earlier part of the day. Discontentedly, he threw the door to her room open only to find it empty once again. "Ishida-san, what are you doing in Tokazawa-san's room?" Just as chance allowed him to escape, her fickle hand drew attention to him, discovery by a servant of sorts. Once he recovered from the brief shock, Ishida provided an honest response.

"I was looking for her."

"Tokazawa-san is in the garden drinking tea. I thought being a quincy, you would know that."

"Again?" he inquired, smiling amusedly as it was just like her to be drinking tea at noon. "We checked the garden this morning."

"Well, she only just sat down. She spent the morning swinging that sword of hers around, I think, though I am not inclined to say where."

"Arigato." The quincy moved passed him quickly before realizing he hadn't the slightest idea as to which way the garden was. "Which way would it happen to be?"

"Follow me. I was just going to sit with her for a few moments myself. I find her presence refreshing." He couldn't bring himself to question the servant or his motives for saying such a thing so casually. It was abnormal for anyone in his position to sit with the honored guest of his master. Then again, he kept in mind that Haru may very well have invited him, but any possible reason for doing so escaped him entirely. Before Ishida had ample time to consider the matter, a flood of sunlight drew his arm over his eyes. Stepping through the door at the slight bow of the servant, he sure enough found his companion seated beneath a tree, her eyes shut as she indulged in another cup of tea. With a rapidity that surprised the servant, Ishida crossed the garden; Haru only took notice when he became the barricade the sunlight could not pass through.

"Ishi-nii?"

"You're causing quite the stir. I don't know what happened with Ichigo, and it's none of my business, but everyone is getting far too curious for me to remain silent. Tokazawa-san, you must try to be less obvious." Haru's gaze grew puzzled at his chides; nevertheless, she continued to sip her tea as casually as she could. "Do you understand the seriousness of your situation? They will chase you into a corner and bog you down with interrogations until you feel you're ready to suffocate. How long can you evade answering them?"

"You worry too much," she replied, smiling calmly while taking another sip of tea. The same mischief entered her eyes as they locked on Ishida, her smile instantly turning into one that disclosed an underlying desire for one thing or another. "I will be leaving shortly on an errand, and I don't expect to be back until dinner. Is it too much to want a cup of tea beforehand?"

"Where are you going now?" Ishida inquired. "I should accompany you…"

"She is only going to ask Kuchiki-sama something," the servant put in. "I can't imagine why it would take you the whole day to do it." An inkling of an idea wormed its way between Ishida's current thought and his perception, one that caused him great alarm as it grew into an image tainted with blood.

"You didn't… please tell me you didn't…"

"So…" Her tone was still calm despite the horror on his face and remained so as she continued speaking. "You finally figured it out."

"Tokazawa-san!"

"Nani? Did I… miss something?"

"How in heaven's name did you manage to… you know," Ishida stated, glancing at his navigational helper to remind himself that they were not in solitude.

"Kuchiki Byakuya is a man who is only vulnerable when he is sleeping. I saw an opportunity and took it. Besides, he has something I want." Haru lowered her tea cup, showing him the determination flashing through her violet eyes. The quincy knew her well enough to know what it meant when her gaze was that vibrant, and the weight of her desire weight so heavily upon him that he actually raised a hand to his head to keep it from swimming.

"You can't be serious…"

"What… did I miss?" the servant asked again.

"It's too reckless. You should have seen Ichigo when Byakuya-san was finished with him… he was a bleeding mess."

"He has been avoiding it for too long. With the information I have in my possession, Byakuya-sama can no longer refuse me. My plan is flawless." Unable to bear his trepidation, Ishida sunk slowly to his knees before his companion, pressing his forehead against the top of Haru's shoulder, his hands tightening into fists.

"I can't bury you again," he managed, keeping the quiver in his voice to a minimum. "Please don't make me go through that again." A firm hand pressed his shoulder, reassuring him to the point of drawing a helpless glance from him. The warmth in her smile was almost tangible. "Haru-sama…"

"Iie." Sighing an apology at his mistake, the quincy finally raised his troubled eyes, finding that hers were, as usual, a placid cocktail of mischief and determination. "We've known each other long enough; please, just call me Haru." With a decisiveness that startled him, the shinigami drained her cup and rose to her feet, stepping lightly across the garden with an airy sort of grace, leaving the quincy lingering doubtfully where her shadow had just been. "Gomen, Keiji-san. I'm afraid we didn't get to talk after all."

"Don't apologize," he returned, smiling amiably. "Your discussion with Ishida-san was probably more important anyway, though I would like to ask what that was about, if you don't mind."

"I have a score to settle with Byakuya-sama that he has been avoiding. Strange that I would compose a solution that would make his cooperation unavoidable at three o'clock in the morning when I'm half asleep… but no matter; one takes brilliance as it comes, I suppose." After pressing the cup into his hand, she returned to where her zanpakutoh was laying in an unobtrusive corner, thanking it silently for its patience while she indulged in a pre-battle cup of tea. "Keiji-san, I know it is not my place to give you orders, but would you mind serving dinner roughly twenty-five minutes later than usual?" Bewilderment quickly overcame him; he had no idea as to the reason she would ask such a thing, but he nodded his head in ascent. "Arigato."

"No need to thank me," he responded, his gaze following her as her wily steps carried her towards the door separating the dim hallway from the luscious garden.

"Tokazawa-san," Ishida called, causing her to pause just as she had that morning, though this time, she allowed her mild impatience to slip through. "I still think it's reckless, but even so, I feel it necessary to wish you luck." A thankful smile lit her face, one that he could sense despite having only her back to look at. "Remember to use your judgment… don't take it farther than you have to."

"I appreciate your advice, Ishi-nii. I will carry it with me." Haru lingered for a moment longer, her hand resting on the door separating her from initiating her task, as she relished the soft breeze that came to stir the ensuing silence. It was almost too serene to break, but knowing that chaos would soon dethrone the placid air of Soul Society, she pushed the barrier aside. "I'll be off, then," she called. "Keiji-san, don't waste another moment pursuing that scarf of his. I have a feeling it will turn up before my return." He opened his mouth to question her, but prior to a single word making it past his lips, the enigmatic shinigami had disembarked on a mission to obtain whatever it was she had lost to her noble host.

Renji bit his lip as he tried vainly to draw his focus back to the form before him. Thus far, he and his captain had been working through Monday's typical mountain of paperwork at a breakneck pace, especially Byakuya. For as long as he had known the raven-haired noble, Renji couldn't recall a time when he worked with as much fervor as he did in that moment; despite wearing the usual stoic expression, the manner of his actions betrayed him. They were hasty, determined, and almost devoid of the Kuckihi's typical grace. What normally took him five minutes was finished in three, and the vice captain knew full well the underlying reason for his tunnel vision, for by that point, Byakuya had reminded him at least four times to focus on his documents rather than the slow-moving hands of the clock.

Nervously, Renji stepped through the doorway and approached his captain's desk. All traces of acknowledgement were reserved for the form in his hand, which his obsidian eyes burned over with remarkable speed. "Taichou?"

"What is it, Renji?" he asked without looking up.

"Don't worry about where it is. I'm sure it'll turn up."

"What will?"

"The scarf." It was easy to see he said too much; the fiery obsidians shot towards him with remarkable quickness, piercing every component of his composure and making him wish himself much smaller than he actually was. "I mean, it couldn't have gone far, right? It's just a scarf." That did it. With a movement quicker than that of his eye, Byakuya's hands fell rather loudly against the desk as he forced himself to stand, causing the remaining piles of papers to shift precariously.

"That scarf is a family heirloom handed down through all twenty-seven generations of the Kuchiki family prior to it falling into my possession. Do not speak of it so lightly, Abarai Renji." The tone of his voice carried with it the threat of impalement unless he followed orders, so he sputtered an apology once his mind regained its ability to think. He saw the shadows shift and expected to undergo the threat that flitted across his gaze and his tone, but when no sword penetrated his flesh and bone, Renji dared to let his eyes wander in the direction of his captain.

"Kuchiki-taichou…"

"I need some air." It wasn't like him to take a break, especially since it was just past lunchtime, which he insisted on foregoing for the sake of his division's well-being. Relief swept over him once his captain was gone, causing him to wipe the sweat from his brow and half-collapse against the desk. With no tension left in the room to hold the few remaining stacks of papers up, they were disturbed by his careless movement and fell like snow upon the floorboards.

There was only one word he could bear to let past the furious lump in his throat. "K…" he stammered, listening as the final one fluttered to a stationary position. "Kuso!" Byakuya heard his vice captain's expletive roar through the otherwise quiet atmosphere, but he didn't have time to deal with it at the moment. His mind was on but one matter, one that he was reminded of when the wind brushed against his normally protected neck. Otherwise, he couldn't help but enjoy himself moderately. It was the same blue sky with the same sparse clouds in the midst of a day in which he partook of the same routine, and while it was true Byakuya preferred to walk beneath the moon, he could see no harm in taking a brief leave of absence to clear his mind.

Just as his steps began, he caught a familiar figure standing in his peripheral vision, having emerged from behind the corner of his office. Her presence had the oddest effect; slowly, his irritation at having misplaced his family heirloom was displaced by the determined yet innocent smile spread across her expression. "Haru…-kun?" Byakuya inquired, his eyes widening involuntarily as she stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"

"You look a little less irate than you did this morning. I'm happy to see that work took your mind off of things for a little while."

"Is that all?" he inquired, debating whether or not to let the anger displace his surprise. "Unless you've found it, I suggest you return to my estate. I have no time for this." Then, with an indifferent façade, he turned back towards the door, determined to sit the rest of the paperwork out if it killed him.

"Matte," she requested. For some reason beyond his reckoning, Byakuya felt it wise to oblige. His forward steps ceased, and he tossed his obsidian gaze over his shoulder to see Haru looking more innocent than ever, almost shy. Having caught that glimmer in her eye, he determined it needed closer observation. He turned fully towards her, his hair swaying slightly to a different rhythm than did his captain's haori. "I may or may not be able to alleviate a great deal of your anxiety in regards to your current problem."

"Oh?" he inquired, raising a brow, expressing the remainder of his interest in silence.

"You see, there is a high probability that I may potentially be able to uncover the location of your scarf…"

"Is that so?"

"Most likely." Byakuya couldn't help but feel the oppressive hand of irritation overwhelming his composure; for all he knew, Haru was simply bluffing. "But in order to provide you with this potentially existent fragment of information that may in some way point you in the direction of said scarf, I must ask something of you." Reluctance suddenly overwhelmed his sureness, for though she was his guest, Tokazawa Miharu was still a commoner, and stooping to the level of one lower than himself was simply out of the question. His honor would suffer a blow just as severe if his scarf had drifted beyond recovery. "Byakuya-sama," she said, drawing him out of silent deliberation. "I want to fight you again, and this time…" As Haru spoke, she partly drew her sword, whose gleam seemed even more competitive when paired with her own determined eyes. "I'm not holding back."

"It is out of the question," Byakuya replied firmly.

"Nande?" she inquired, her tone changing to that raw competition which captured him in their first quarrel. "Are you afraid you will lose?"

"To you? Heavens, no. You would not last five seconds against me."

"That's odd, because if I recall our last fight correctly, I lasted far longer than five seconds."

"I was using a wooden sword."

"You also seem to forget that to me, a wooden sword and a zanpakutoh are the same thing." As if to prove her point, Haru shifted her sword slightly.

"I refuse."

"Then you will never know for certain whether or not you would have beaten me." Byakuya's hand visibly twitched at the words, but otherwise, he remained as composed as ever.

"You dare put yourself on my level, Tokazawa Miharu?" Something dire came into his gaze, notifying Haru prematurely of her victory. "I will make you eat your own insolent words." With an air of great offense, Byakuya stepped past her, glaring coldly at his determined guest. "Come." Having no reason to inquire as to what their destination was, Haru did so without uttering a single word. His steps were brisk, fueled by the very pride that lay wounded and dying within him. They seemed to walk forever, Haru trailing behind in his shadow while her host set the pace that she willed herself to keep up with. It was only after a time that she realized where he was leading her. Byakuya stopped for a moment, eyeing the high cliff with moderate disdain.

"This place holds memories of defeat for you," she stated, eyeing the scarred hilltop where the Soukyoku once stood in perpetual hibernation. "Are you certain you wish to settle this matter here?" Byakuya disappeared a moment latter only to reappear partway up the cliff, and even then, he remained visible for a single moment. Having grasped his intention, Haru did her best to follow him, but she had never used shunpo to climb a wall of rock before. It was an anxious task; once, her foothold gave way, but she stepped away quickly enough to avoid plummeting to certain death. The trouble with climbing the vertical face was that, once beginning the task, it was impossible to stop and think of the consequences. She could only keep climbing, even as her doubts welled up inside of her and the ground grew more and more distant.

When she finally reached the top, Haru found herself dropping to her knees, drawing breaths so deep and swift that they actually hurt her chest. "Get up," he said in monotone, but it did nothing to rouse her. So unsettling was Byakuya's composure even after the arduous undertaking of their ascent that Haru nearly succumbed to her redoubled doubt.

_No second thoughts,_ whispered a voice in the back of her mind. _You wished for an answer, and now, you shall obtain one without fail._

_I'm scared…_ she thought. _When I challenged him last time, he didn't look that way._

_Do not fear, Haru-sama… I am with you._ Her determination renewed, Haru rose to her feet, removing her haori with great care and placing it in an unobtrusive location before following him swiftly, working the wrapping around the handle until it came loose. With remarkable focus, she threaded it through the square piece of metal atop the handle of her sword, tying it in a secure knot while at the same time taking care not to step too close to the fuming captain. The white ends fluttered in the wind as she continued her pursuit, stopping only when the man she was following ceased his own movement. A brisk breeze lifted the gold ends of the ribbon restraining her hair, and the two tendrils framing her face rose to meet the wind.

"It will be two weeks tomorrow since you became a guest in my house. We have eaten our meals together and slept in the same futon, yet despite that, you insist on pestering me with this matter of power and which of us possesses more of it. I will show you…" Byakuya's hand fell to his sword and closed around the hilt. The katana emerged without argument or rebellion, and with it came an almost frightening change in his reiatsu. "I will show you… the meaning of power." He turned towards her, eyes flickering with the faintest traces of competition, but they were overshadowed entirely by his boundless vehemence. "Chire…"

The name never left his lips. Haru was before him in an instant, the revealed portion of her blade locked with his own. Infuriated, Byakuya tried to pull away, but she closed the sheath just enough so its minute grip became vice-like to his purposes. "Listen to me," she said. "In challenging you, I have no intention of wounding your pride. I only wish to verify my own."

"By defeating me." He managed to jerk his sword free, but Haru persisted. She drew the blade fully this time, tucking the sheath in her belt before taking the hilt in both hands. They entered a brief stare down before the captain shoved her away, and, using shunpo, reappeared behind her. Haru turned to meet him, her eyes blazing with unfathomable determination. Despite his best efforts, she always seemed to counter his attacks and thwart his efforts to summon the senbonzakura into shikai. There in her actions, he began to see, was a captivating grace that made him lose focus only for a moment.

It was a costly loss. He felt his feet slide across the ground beneath the pressure Haru was exerting on him. A faint golden halo had appeared about her, which he could only presume to be her reiatsu. He countered with an amount that slightly surpassed her own, only to be pushed back farther as the resolute girl augmented a greater amount than he himself was putting out. "You dare wound my pride farther by holding back?" Following his comment was an explosion of fiery pink reiatsu, which caused their blades to separate. Haru gritted her teeth as she tried to remain standing; that burst nearly overwhelmed her. Byakuya raised his sword again and prepared to summon it only to have his efforts thwarted. Sometime between stopping and implementing shunpo, Haru's sword had crept back into its sheath. It was precisely this sheath that he seized when it attempted to strike him.

Before he could effectively couple his defense with a swing of the senbonzakura, Haru had launched herself off the ground, her hands still clinging to her sword as she sailed over his head and landed, on her feet, directly behind him. It played all the better into his hand as the Kuchiki jerked her sword and drew their backs together. An unpleasant hiss escaped from Haru's lungs, along with a partial collapse caused by the weakening of her knees. _Focus._ That single word permeated the momentary confusion and resulted in her hand gripping the sleeve of her host. As luck would have it, he had lowered his arm momentarily in ensuring his grip on her own weapon would continue. The position they were in was unbearable to her, for every time the Kuchiki so much as thought of moving, the first thing she would feel was his back against her own.

"How?" she asked between breaths. "How can you live with that uncertainty? How can you live not knowing whether or not the girl you share your bed with is your equal or your superior?"

"You will never be superior to me." With that, he jerked his arm away, held his sword erect, and tightened his own grip on Haru's zanpakutoh. "Chire, senbonzakura." Haru peered over her shoulder in horror as countless pink fragments permeated the air, giving the affect of a thousand falling cherry petals, but unlike real sakura blossoms, she knew enough about his zanpakutoh to know that it was a deadly sort of beauty. Paralyzed only for a moment, she soon collected her focus and placed it all on pulling her own blade away from Byakuya. It was difficult considering the placement of his hand, so close to the position where the hilt ended and the sheath began, but with a determined manipulation, she twisted the sword and jerked it free.

The flower petals missed their target no thanks to her agility, leaving Byakuya holding an empty sheath amid the drifting fragments. For a moment, the stillness made him forgetful and negligent. A foot caught his ankle, throwing him off balance as a streak he recognized as Haru maneuvered her own body to deliver a kick to the descending Kuchiki, but he vanished before it fell, hurling a flexible pillar of petals in her direction. Her concentration intensified as she knocked what she could away, staggering beneath the weight of the lacerations adorning her arms, the single cut at the side of her neck, and the three intersecting lines upon her right cheek.

Another attack was coming; that much, Haru was certain of. _They are relentless… I can't knock them all away. If one were to race across my back…_

_It will not go that far._ Using shunpo, the young shinigami managed to weave her way between the petals without further injury. While dancing with the death-bringing petals, she partook in an internal conversation, all the while watching Byakuya's eyes as she first ducked and then threw her weight to the right. _You know what you must do, Haru-sama… cast off your regard for his pride and your hesitation to wound it._

_But I…_

_Use it!_ Haru wavered where she stood before setting her feet firmly on the ground and firmly casting her determined eyes on the captain's own.

"I have you," he said calmly. Suddenly, there seemed to be a great deal many more of them than there were a moment ago. They swirled about in numerous pillars, curling about on the air like viperous serpents who coiled their menacing bodies about her. Try as she may, she could not knock them all away. Just before all sight of her became lost in that sea of petals, however, a shift in her reiatsu took place. Byakuya's gaze fell to the sheath in his hand, which he flung away at the unpleasant burning sensation it imposed on his bare palm. _What is this… it's changing?_

"Watch carefully, Byakuya-sama," Haru said, her voice carrying a dreadful note of seriousness with it. "There are only two categories of beings I show this to: those I plan to kill, and those I respect enough to fight with full force." Seeing the trap he had put himself, in, the pillars swirling around her scattered into their individual forms, innumerable blades that prepared to render her determination nothing more than a tattered paper bag, but before the silent command could pass through the air, he became intrigued by the changes taking place in the sheath. His incredulous gaze found her own, which had since intensified and did so even more as she uttered the words, "Hai karano joushou…" In the pause that followed, the ribbon trailing from the square hoop at the tip of her sword turned from white to red; the hoop itself altered color as well, turning gold to match her flickering reiatsu. The hilt seemed to catch fire and give way to that of a typical katana. A rectangular guard materialized, the blade darkened just a shade, and three close bands of gold appeared upon its silvery surface, the first being a mere three centimeters below the guard.

This transformation happened in a matter of seconds, after which Haru spoke the name of her zanpakutoh. "Suzaku." It seemed to relish the sound; her reiatsu still burned visibly about her, and at its resonance, its intensity increased to the point that the rocky ground beneath her feet began to crack. Then, with a surprising suddenness, it vanished. Using shunpo to escape the sakura petals that would have otherwise sealed her fate, Haru landed a short distance away, followed by the flock of petals that collectively formed her opponent's weapon. Despite the situation, Haru remained quite calm as she darted to and fro, evading the attacks that were meant to force her into defeat.

_This speed… where did it come from?_ Byakuya, having grown tired of pursing her with half his maximum speed, raised his hands deliberately. She detected this movement, skidding to a stop with the petals not far behind. He tried to uncover the motive behind her pause, and his answer came on the words of a simple, calmly uttered command.

"Omote han: seishinhi." The blade sang through the air, summoning a fiery tail that followed its arc and suddenly scattered in all directions. What Haru failed to push away with her flames, she forced away with her reiatsu, which again burst forth with relentless persistence. Having thwarted his attempts at attacking, she gathered her remaining energy and rushed forward. Her intention was clear, and Byakuya happily obliged, collecting his petals into a single sword that struck her own. The result was a pulsing surge of two distinct reiatsu, striking like a hot and cold front and filling the air around them with gold lightening and pink thunder.

Once the reiatsu cleared, all that was left were two determined shinigami, their swords joined as each put their full effort into the blade against the other. Haru pulled away after a moment of thought, dodging the stab the still infuriated captain attempted to pierce her shoulder with. It grazed her arm, drawing a trickle of blood to its surface. He drew back and slashed downward this time, meeting her zanpakutoh with his full strength. The way she blocked it was awkward, his blade resting perpendicular against her own, and the pressure was not lessening in the least. Verbalizing her effort, she continued to press against the senbonzakura, her own blade cutting into her palm beneath the pressure, a hint of pain infiltrating her eyes as she sank lower and lower until at last, her knee touched the ground.

"I expected better from you than to kneel before your opponent." At tasting its wielder's blood, Suzaku gave an almost mournful cry, one that even made its way into Byakuya's ears. "You are eons away from beating senbonzakura." Haru bowed her head beneath the effort, gritting her teeth to hold in the cries of pain that racked her internal world. "Concede victory to me, or you may lose part of your hand on account of your own sword."

"Suzaku…" she murmured, shifting her foot so that her knee was no longer on the ground. The foot shot towards his ankle, wrapped around it, and effectively skewed his balance a second time. What he didn't anticipate was the second foot, which swiftly aimed a blow at his stomach midway through his fall, making it impossible to do anything but try to block it to the best of his ability. He slid across the ground, having absorbed most of the blow with his left wrist, and retook his stance as he mused over what tactic to implement next. _It hurts to move… it hurts to breathe… _ Such thoughts ran through her head as she struggled to stand, holding the sword out before her. Haru staggered slightly, then took it again, her eyes weary yet determined. A hint of gold lingered in them, no doubt the living flame of her reiatsu. _I can't…_

With resolve, Haru drove the point of her sword into the ground, leaning on it for support. _I can't… give up. There must be something…_

"Hadou no sanjyuusan… soukatsui." She was unready for the attack that followed, a blue fireball that seemed to ignite the very air itself. Nevertheless, she raised her blade to the formidable flames, her determined eyes never once wavering as a golden blaze flickered through the air and countered the intense kidou. Despite her best efforts, its force still threw her back a considerable distance. At some point, she must have lost her balance, and as luck would have it, Haru fell flat on her back, sliding only a short distance, but it was more than enough to draw an agonized cry from her burning lungs. Not being able to bear the task of breathing, Haru paused to collect her senses, realizing that in using her attack as defense, she had spared herself the brunt of the blow. Still, the only movement she could bear was rolling over onto her side, at which point the dust further hindered her breathing and caused her to cough convulsively.

Byakuya's shadow loomed over her, examining her pitiful form, before he shut his eyes determinedly. "It is over." Haru made no effort to move or argue; she knew full well it was over. Her eyes stared up at his for a moment, the embers of her determination fading. With slight distaste, he dropped the sheath to her sword just in front of her trembling left arm, but moving to seize it proved to be too difficult of a task. "Does the taste of defeat suit your pride, Haru?" With a forlorn smile, she forced herself to sit up, wavering almost violently as she struggled to attain her balance. Once she did, she removed her glasses, cleaning the dust from them apprehensively while keeping her own eyes on the ground.

"You misunderstand." That simple two-word phrase kept him rooted to the spot. She was still smiling… even having just suffered a devastating and utter loss, that innocent smile still lingered on her face. The black sheath of her zanpakutoh slowly faded to its natural woody appearance, the guard of the katana broke away, its color reverted to the original shade of silver, and decisively, Haru sheathed the now dormant Suzaku, propping it against her shoulder. Her hands rested upon her knees after they adjusted her glasses, at which point her violet eyes rose to meet his own. "Whether through victory or defeat, Byakuya-sama, I take pride in having you as my opponent. The ambiguity of who was stronger got in the way of that."

He didn't notice his jaw fall open slightly at her words. Another moment's rest drew her boldness back into play as Haru attempted clumsily to stand on her own two feet. With her zanpakutoh's help, she managed it in a pseudo-efficient manner. "Well, that took longer than expected," she stated, raising her arm to block the rays of the sun. "I do hope you didn't disrupt my haori in all of the commotion." She started forward, wavering with every step but completing her brief trek to where her haori lay (thankfully) undisturbed. That was all the more she could bear her own weight, however. Haru's knees struck the ground with a force that jarred her whole body and drew a slight wince from the otherwise stable frame.

Detecting Byakuya's shadow close at hand, Haru laughed quietly to herself in spite of her intense physical discomfort. "It was a lot of fun. We should do it again sometime."

"Either you are very reckless or very foolish." This time, when she wavered in trying to stand, Byakuya's arm kept her from falling.

"That is unnecessary," she replied. "Besides, you're about to be angry with me. I can tell."

"Why would I be?" Once she was standing on her own, Haru turned fully to him, wavering slightly as she collected enough strength to pull the folds of her Haori apart. She caught the lengthy strand of fabric concealed within, offering it to her host with a tentative hand. Its ends rode on the wind beneath its master's gaze, waving an amiable greeting and an apology on Haru's behalf.

"Gomenasai, Byakuya-sama… but when I thought about going another day without knowing, I just… acted impulsively." Haru's smile faded for a moment, mainly at catching a glimpse of the stone cold glimmer in his eyes. "It may have been three in the morning, but I was thinking clearly at the time. I will accept any punishment you deem fit if you will only forgive me." The top of her nutmeg-colored head suddenly came into his view as she bowed, quivering slightly when he neither moved to reproach her nor to take back his heirloom.

"Nande?" he said at last.

"I had to know."

"Did you have to go so far as to violate my family's customs?"

"You're one to talk," she returned, fighting the hint of rebellion rising in her voice. "You were the one with your fingers in my hair last night despite having been warned that it was a custom. I may not carry my father's name, but I do retain that much of him." Haru shook the hand that held the scarf as if to remind him it was still in her possession, but he still made no move to take it. "I promise you I took it with the intention of giving it back. Please try not to think ill of me in my weakest moment." She bowed again, this time lower than before, straining her breath at the pain racing through her body; and when at last, she felt a gentle tug on the scarf in her hand, she let the soft fabric slide through her fingers as it returned to the hands of its proper owner.

Byakuya started forward once he wound it about his neck, leaving Haru in a bow that left her displaying the top of her head to the scarred crown of Soukyoku hill. As he passed, he took one free lock of hair between is fingers briefly, releasing it only when her questioning eyes rose to meet his own. "I will deal with this later. For now, let us return and eat our evening meal."

"Hai." Haru draped her haori around her shoulders and took up her sword in the usual manner before following her host. Her eyes remained on his shadow until the very moment prior to their descent. Bewildered at the sudden chill on the breeze, Haru glanced up and realized that they were surrounded by the fiery sunset. _The end... _

"Haru-kun." Fortunately, his beckon drove off the tears threatening to pour forth, and she left the scarred battleground with the setting sun and innumerable memories as its only company.

Agony worked its way through every nook and cranny of Haru's body, even as the steam of the bath attempted vainly to wipe it away. With her eyes half closed, she relived a moment that had already passed, walking alongside her composed host, following him into the dining room, and seating herself beside him, holding in a hiss of pain that threatened to surface. They began the meal in silence, pretending not to notice the scratches on her face or the subtle winces that came through every movement. Twice, Byakuya paused to glance at her, finding that every trace of her focus was fixed on maintaining a normal appearance. He remembered their brief argument in the hallway, her insistence that she should probably eat dinner alone in her room as she had the night before, and when he insisted that he wouldn't hear of it, she silently succumbed to his wishes. At the moment, he was questioning his own motives for asking such a thing of her despite her pale complexion and weary eyes, but silence, his only ally, was quickly chased off by the interjection of his vice-captain.

"Taichou," Renji said with a suddenness that caused the half-conscious Haru to flinch. "When you said something about a brief walk, I figured you'd be back to finish the paperwork."

"I got distracted," he said calmly. "But my search was fruitful; I found what I was looking for." He took a thoughtful sip of his tea, shutting his eyes to focus on the flavor as a slight pain worked its way through his wrist. If fate had its way, and it always did, then Haru wouldn't be the only one feeling the after-effects of their battle in the morning. Renji contend himself with that before he caught the anxious glimmer in the girl's eyes. Her haori hung over her shoulders loosely, and in the dim light of the dining room, his gaze began to wander over the regular cuts along her exposed flesh, fixing on the three intersecting cuts upon her cheek.

"The hell happened to you?" Renji asked. With indifference, she nodded her head to the Kuchiki heir, who was currently occupied in chewing a bite of his rice. The pain was evident in her gaze, so she shut her eyes, focusing on the task of driving its relentless hand away. A chopstick struck a plate rather loudly, causing her headache to intensify. "Then that reiatsu earlier was…" His brow was twitching compulsively, the tattoos on his forehead moving right along with them.

"Is it so surprising?"

"You're just a kid!" he cried, slamming his fist down on the table. "You can't be strong enough to fight him. It's impossible!"

"You mean to say Haru-san fought with Byakuya-san?" inquired the clueless Orihime.

"There's no way… it isn't logical. She shouldn't be able to fight nii-sama…" Rukia murmured, raising a thoughtful hand to her chin.

"Why can't she?" Ichigo demanded through a mouthful of half-chewed food. "If I can beat him, she probably did."

"Don't be so rude, Ichigo!" ordered a rather flustered Rukia.

"Then we'll ask her, because I can't count on Byakuya to give me a straight answer." Ichigo placed a hand on the table, shifting as his gaze pleaded silently with Haru. "So… who won?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ishida inquired. "She's still alive, isn't she?"

"That doesn't mean she didn't lose," Rukia argued. "She looks pretty beaten up to me."

"I was worse off after I fought him, and I won."

"But Kurosaki-kun went up against his bankai…" They simply went on with their meal, neither relinquishing the answer to the burning question that was their topic of discussion. The debate continued, with Orihime and Chad remaining neutral while Ichigo and Ishida argued on her behalf. Their opinions were countered by Rukia and Renji, who could not envision the sixth division captain being beaten by the young girl sitting beside him.

"She's just a scrawny, innocent kid with practically no experience. She doesn't know anything about being a shinigami," Renji argued.

"There's nothing to it but killing hollows."

"So you're the authority on shinigami matters now, quincy?"

"Should we stop them?" Chad inquired, looking first to the heated vice-captain, and then to Haru's silent yet obvious anger.

"I don't think we can," Orihime sighed.

"Oy, Haru!" Ichigo's demand drew her out of her daze. "Settle this matter, will you? Just say you beat him."

"Kuchiki-taichou wouldn't lose to a girl," Renji said resolutely. "Besides, she's just a novice…"

"She is a formidable opponent with a great deal of talent and a mental capacity the likes of which I have not seen in ages. You would do well not to underestimate her, not unless you want her 'cracking your skull open,' in her words."

"Nii-sama…"

"Taichou…" Haru dropped her eyes, trying vainly to hide the blush and the smile that overcame her at his praise. Startled into silence at her expression, they could only watch as her eyes reappeared, glimmering with placid yet weary contentment.

"Does it matter which of us won or lost? We both got what we wanted out of it." Come to think of it, Haru had gotten what she wanted out of it. _Pride… my gods forsaken fixation with pride. I must be spending too much time in Ishi-nii's presence. Resolution is all I wanted. Hopefully tonight, I can get enough sleep to try again tomorrow. _The mere thought of fighting against the senbonzakura again so soon made her muscles ache. Then again, it could have been her departure from the warm water and the weighty feeling of swimming in air again. _I probably could have matched him if it wasn't for that damned climb and us talking until all hours of the night. What was it that he asked me just before we went to sleep, anyway? _It was futile to remember anything at the moment; Haru's head was throbbing viciously, and her limbs felt weak and heavy.

By some miracle, she managed to pull her sleeping kimono on, though the effort almost made her drop to her knees. It was soft, to be sure, but the fabric's touch against her back was most oppressive after having sat in the tub for a considerable stretch of time. Progress down the hallway was slow that night, its length distorted into an unending eternity of wobbling forward with her sword barely hanging in her hands. _I think I went too far, Sukazu,_ she thought dismally.

_You should have used kagehi on him… _the sword answered after a moment. _He was strong enough to survive it._

_As much as I would love to agree with you, I can't. Shinsenhi was sufficient… and I aim only to be sufficient when lives are not at stake._ Her thoughts were becoming muddled again, and for a moment, the voice of her zanpakutoh was lost among her own violent waves of pain and fatigue.

_Haru-sama, daijobu desu ka?_

_Just tired… I'll be fine._ With a gasp, she sunk against the wall, holding her shoulder in a trembling hand. Resolution pressed her onward until Haru felt as though she was walking in a dream. She reached his door, staggering involuntarily against it and realizing her breaths were short and deep from the mere effort of walking. After a brief moment of rest, taken for composure's sake and to reestablish her typical respiration, she pushed the door open, sliding in and shutting it behind her. Byakuya stood with his back to her, his arms folded behind him, his eyes locked on the pearly moon above. He made no acknowledgment of her presence. "Byakuya-sama, I know you are angry with me. That is why I came… to apologize. I acted rashly in an overwhelming moment of mischief and in a manner that may make me seem ungrateful. But I am grateful for your hospitality, and…"

"Are you finished?" he interrupted suddenly, his steely eyes falling to her. Something odd shone in them as she nodded her assent, tightening her grip on the wooden sword in her hands. "Come, join me." Haru did as she was told, standing nearly shoulder to shoulder with the captain and tossing her own eyes at the starry heavens she was always aiming for. She took no notice of Byakuya, who shifted his eyes away from the sky and fixed his gaze on a closer star. "Where did you get the idea that being a guest in my room gave you permission to take my things?"

"Yachiru-chan, if you must know." Hopefully, she hadn't condemned the pink-haired vice captain to any punishment for saying so. "She was more of an inspiration than anything, so please do not blame her for it. From what I understand, it is some sort of game to her to rob her captain while he is sleeping. If it works for a child, I assumed it would work for my purposes." Haru managed a shrug, hissing in pain since most of her effort was focused on standing upright. She waited in silence for him to say something, anything to break the ambiguous silence drifting between them, but he said nothing. He simply remained as he was, examining her with his stoic midnight eyes while she wavered occasionally beneath her own weight. After taking one step back, Byakuya moved so he stood directly behind her, untying her hair and relishing her lack of rebellion as the nutmeg tresses tumbled freely about her shoulders.

"You could have gone farther," he murmured, taking one lock between his fingers, which immediately set to work in memorizing its texture.

"One must know when to restrain oneself." Somehow, knowing that the words were meant for him brought a brief smile to his lips. The coldness filling his eyes faltered, melting just enough to draw forth an indiscernible haze of sentiments.

"You know, since you stole something from me, I think it is only fair that I do the same to you."

"I have nothing for you to steal," Haru stated, quivering slightly at the bold tenor laced through his typically empty tone. "If you take my glasses or Sukazu, I'll crack your skull open; I don't care what time it is."

"That is not what I had in mind." When he said nothing, she turned around slowly to glance at the raven-haired noble, or at the very least take a guess what he was thinking. There was a dangerous look about his eyes, almost as if he was struggling with himself, or perhaps he was unsure of whatever his skewed and distorted logic may have been. Startled by his state, Haru took a step back, hoping that her withdraw would do something to calm his nerves, which were clearly on-edge. Byakuya pursued her, pulled forward as if by some cosmic sort of magnetism or static electricity, and matched her step for step until she could move no further. His hand rose slowly, pulling the glasses away from her eyes as the other wandered beneath her chin to keep her from looking away.

"Byakuya-sama…" The plea was barely a whisper, especially when she pressed herself fully against the wall to her back. She couldn't help but blush at the sight of the Kuchiki heir being caressed by the moon's pale fingers. "My glasses…"

"I will return them," he interjected, allowing his fingers to move at last along her jaw line. Haru could only watch as some sort of odd fire sprang to his eyes, one that she had never seen from him before. She tried to guess what it was, but every time her mind tried to work, it also deemed whatever line of thought sprang forth completely irrelevant in favor of Byakuya's figure. His obsidian hair, still damp from the bath, shone with an almost silvery-blue tint, falling against his pale skin and creating a stark contrast most worthy of admirations. But it was his eyes that truly captivated her, those hesitant, bold, dark midnight orbs that seemed just as intent in gauging her reactions as she did in uncovering his motives.

At some point, he must have gotten rid of the glasses, for the next thing she knew, he had pressed his other palm against the wall at her back, and, after one final moment of tentative observation, began to lean forward. "Byakuya-sama… you mustn't let the heat of your bath go to your head… think clearly, now… reason is imperative."

"Urusai." His command was unduly met. By then, his palm was against her cheek, not warm at all compared to the fiery blush that lit her expression. "How can you ask me to be reasonable… when your very presence drives me mad?" Bewildered by his words, by the ferocious restraint in his half-lidded eyes, and by his close proximity, Haru found herself unable to reply.

"Byakuya-sama, I…"

"Shh… close your eyes." Haru found herself obeying without a second thought, even as he leaned so close, the gentle breath creeping through his lips brushed against her own. Anticipation made her tremble until the distance between them was closed. The kiss was a chaste one, a thing so pleasant that it chased away any doubt she may have had in accepting it. A strong arm pulled her away from the shadows into the moonlight, and she couldn't help but gasp as the hand that drew her forth pressed against her back. He gladly accepted the invitation, allowing the slightest hint of passion to creep into his gesture, a factor that may have contributed more to her clinging than anything else, for he was aware that her knees had nearly buckled under the weight of the strange sensation.

Byakuya couldn't help but take some satisfaction in the fact that, when he pulled away, she leaned forward for a moment before finally allowing him to draw away. A shock of violet came into view as Haru's hand slowly rose to her lips and intensified when she realized that, in her moment of weakness, she had taken a fistful of his sleeping kimono, which now hung open farther than it initially had. They regarded each other in silence for a moment before, at last, the noble Kuchiki let his eyes fall to scrutinizing some dark corner of the room. "Forgive me," he stated, moving to release the girl in his arms, but she was persistent in her clinging and bewildered by his apology. "In my moment of weakness, I seem to have… stolen your first kiss." His words came out more awkward than he intended them.

"Why do you ask me to forgive you?" It wasn't difficult for her to find his gaze in the dark, not when her own bold hand reached out, pressed itself against his cheek, and forced it to lock on her own. There were tears in her eyes, dreadfully frightened tears that he interpreted as a product of his actions. "What am I to you? Am I your replacement for Hisana? Do you see her in me? Is that why you let me stay? Is that why you cannot fight me?" Byakuya then dueled his passions mentally, pitting them against his ever authoritative reason, but it failed him for the second time that night. He caught the girl in his arms with a rapidity that drew an audible gasp from her, and, in a desperate moment of partial rejection, pulled her into a tight embrace that she never once struggled against.

"You are not Hisana to me. You are Tokazawa Miharu." For some reason, she shuddered at the name, but brushing her odd reaction aside as irrelevant, Byakuya continued. "And the only reason I refrain from fighting you is because I am too busy fighting myself. I have no desire to harm you as I did today. Haru-kun…" Another gasp escaped her as his grip tightened around her frame, leaving nothing left between them but their kimonos, and even those were hardly to be considered sufficient barriers. "I want nothing more from you than your presence, even if it is maddening, because having you by my side is better than having no one there at all. For one more night… for the weeks and the months that will surely begin to pass quickly soon… for as long as you can stand this troublesome man, even if it is just until I release you…" He loosened his arms, allowing the bewildered Haru enough freedom to raise her eyes to his. "Stay with me."

It was an odd thing to see Kuchiki Byakuya, a man who was stoic at a level that made slabs of limestone look emotional, speak words that were so emotionally charged. Knowing that she was ensnared despite her fears and misgivings, Haru allowed a smile to wash over her expression. "You are, indeed, the most troublesome man I have ever met, because even though part of me wishes to rid myself of you altogether, that part is overshadowed by an even greater desire to remain forevermore the walker in your shadow. Iie," she sighed at last, her smile growing almost bitter. "I cannot bring myself to leave you."

"Do not force yourself to stay."

"Haven't we been through this? If I wanted to leave, I would have already." All tension passed out of Byakuya as she spoke those words, those tangible, undeniable affirmations that she took some pleasure in his presence. She turned to face the window, locking her eyes on the stars hanging in the night sky, clear to her gaze but eons out of reach. "You know the dangers of getting too close to me; I have warned you, and you have made your decision. The matter is in fate's hands, now."

"Do not mention fate," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and nuzzling the back of her neck.

"What about my age? Doesn't that concern you?"

"Not a bit."

"What will others think?"

"It is our business; not theirs."

"Rukia will oppose it," Haru noted, shuddering slightly as Byakuya's fingers began their aimless journey across her back. "I am not sure what Ishi-nii will think."

"They don't need to know," he replied, brushing her hair aside and pressing his mouth against her ear. "It will be our little secret; this will be agreeable to you and fairly easy, as you are already so good at keeping them." Haru couldn't help but laugh gently and clearly. She tried to recall the last time she had been so happy, an effort that soon became entirely useless when he continued speaking into her ear. "So," Byakuya whispered, his voice low, "how was it?"

"Byakuya-sama!" she gasped, pressing her hands against her reddening face, drawing an amused smile out of her host. "You and your teasing… you're so cruel…"

"Cruel would be subjecting you to a second kiss."

"How would that be cruel?" Haru demanded, pulling away from his grasp and turning to face him with her hands on her hips. The noble considered it for a moment, only until he caught the hidden meaning in her words. A tentative hand brushed the hair away from her face, revealing the clear blush on her cheeks and the lacerations his attacks had left. A trace of shame passed through his gaze, chased away immediately when Haru, in a moment of undeniable boldness, leaned forward and experimentally brushed her lips against his own. Byakuya made no move to capture her again when she drew away, looking a little less surprised than he was at her own audacity. "Baka. Don't look so surprised; it's no worse than what you did to me."

"A valid point," he responded, trying vainly to hide his own embarrassment. A silent agreement passed between them that it was time to sleep. No word passed between them as they climbed into the futon, Haru laying on her side, Byakuya on his back, each wondering exactly what was to be done now. The noble shinigami felt a gentle hand grip his own, and after rolling onto his own side, he drew it to his lips. "You are in pain because of me."

"I brought it upon myself." Once Byakuya allowed his hand to fall, he intertwined his fingers with Haru's, contenting himself with merely observing the girl as her eyes gradually disappeared and the expression on her face became just as innocent and placid as it did every night. "Gomenasai, Byakuya-sama. It was wrong of me to force you into a fight. I hope I did not inadvertently tread upon your honor."

"You have no reason to worry about such things, Haru-kun." A brief smile flashed across her expression before it faded again, and her eyes reappeared, startling the Kuchiki heir beyond being able to inquire the reason for her resistance to sleep.

"I had a dream last night," Haru began, seeing the question in his eyes. "Soutaichou-sama sent for me, and I came to his division's office. All the other captains were there, including you, but when I opened the door and crossed the threshold, I could only gather that their stares were cold and rejecting, even yours, Byakuya-sama. For some reason, I couldn't cry or scream; the only rebellion I had was silent, and I simply turned away, unable to bear it until I was alone. The whole time, I was thinking in the dream only one thought: Aizen must be smiling because he had brought me to a most complete and utter ruin." She squeezed his hand tightly, her anxious quiver barely noticeable. "I must ask you a favor, and please do not question my motives, as I am unsure of them myself. Let me walk in your shadow. Let your greatness hide that which I call my own. At least until Aizen comes down here himself to finish the job he started, be the pillar of strength I cling to when I grow weak with despair."

"You know I will."

"Arigato," Haru murmured. Her eyes dropped shut soon after those words died away. Byakuya mistakenly thought she was asleep until they opened again and a tired smile worked its way over her face. "I just remembered another haiku I read somewhere."

"Oh?" he asked.

"Two thieves under moon court night's shadows as they go to steal pride nobly." Byakuya observed her for a moment, turning the poem over in his mind. He thought Haru may go to sleep without hearing his opinion, but seeing her determination, he had no choice but to deliver his precise opinion as eloquently as possible.

"What an impudent haiku," he retorted.

"So says the noble thief."

"I am no thief," Byakuya argued. "I am merely…" But it was too late; Haru had already slipped gently into sleep's waiting hands. With a dissatisfied sigh, the nobleman swallowed his words and with his free hand brushed the hair aside from her face. The chorus of crickets and their gentle lullaby soon brought her company in her relief, an impenetrable unconsciousness that any form of suffering had no hopes of passing into.

* * *

Wow... you made it! I'm so proud... Sesshoumara-san, I hope you're satisfied (see review). P Pardon any typos; I swear I edited, and here is your Japanese lesson for those of you who don't know!

Iie: No

Nande: Why

Nani: What

Otousan: Father

Baka: Stupid

Matte: Wait

Arigato: Thank you

Kuso: Sht (hooray for Japanese swear words!)

Gomenasai: Formal Apology

Hai: Yes

Daijobu desu ka: Are you ok

Urusai: Shut up

And I did this on purpose, just so you would read to the bottom... how devious of me. Regarding Haru's zanpakutoh: its name is (of course) Suzaku, and it is so named for the vermillion bird of the Chinese constellation system (for more info, see wikipedia). In shifting from its dormant stage to shikai, Sukazu's blade darkens slightly in color, and three gold bands appear on the blade beginning three centimeters away from the hilt. It takes up the appearance of a regular katana, materializing a rectangular hilt while the sheath turns black, the hilt and ribbon tied to the metal piece at its end red, and the metal piece itself turning gold as well. Its summoning, "hai karano joushou" translates to "rise from the ashes" and it has three primary forms of attack, hence the phrase "otome han" or first form. Shinsenhi, or soul fire (without the no because I'm lazy... and it saves me 2.3 milliseconds by not having to type two extra letters), is of course the first form. Kagehi, or shadow fire, is "daini keitai," the second form. The third form... well, that's a secret. I'm saving it for later. Hope this didn't bore you too much; this is sort of for my reference too. And don't ask me why first form and second form are nothing alike in Japanese; I'm just rolling with the punches. Chapter 11 will be up eventually; thank you for all your patience, and I hope you enjoyed. Huzzah for the longest ending note and the longest Japanese lesson (I think) ever! Happy trails to ye, faithful reader, while I get thee to my slumber!


	11. Chapter 11: Favor

A/N: Ack! Another BAC... please forgive me. Can you believe I was actually going to make it longer? What in God's name was I thinking?! I apologize in advance for any typos contained herein... again, I am fighting a cold, and in a minute, I'm going to take a shot of NyQuil to battle it. I was too lazy to edit this one... don't be angry... I swear I'll make it up to you... name your price! As long as it's legal... and moral... and sane, or as sane as I get anyway. Thanks to all for being patient, and thanks again to all my lovely reviewers! Kudos and love to all of you, and I hope that, whether a reader or a reviewer, you enjoy chapter 11!

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I still don't own Bleach, but I'm working on it... (I can dream, right?)

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Chapter 11: Favor 

"You want me to _what_?" It began that morning, three days after the fiasco regarding Kuchiki Byakuya's lost scarf. Expressing an uncanny desire to forego breakfast and head straight to work (perhaps his six extra house guests had something to do with it), Byakuya had woken her roughly half an hour earlier than she was accustomed to in his usual manner. She clung and pleaded for him to stay, that it was too cold, but he seemed in no mood to deal with any sort of rebellion she had. After yanking the covers of the futon viciously off of her shivering form, he finally got around to explaining himself.

"I would like you to accompany me, Haru-kun."

"Why the hell is that?"

"It is a little early for swearing," he murmured, leaning over her until a single lock of his obsidian hair brushed against her face.

"It is a little early for a lot of things," she retorted, silently mourning the loss of the warm blankets. Haru turned over and stared up at him, her eyes innocent and questioning, until he drew away and quietly adjusted his sleeping kimono.

"Get dressed. We leave directly after our morning tea." The prospect of tea roused her from her nest and sent her scurrying into the room next door, where she hastily threw on her uniform and tied back her lengthy nutmeg hair. She was careful to knock upon returning and was ushered in immediately by Byakuya's voice. There he was sitting in the dark, lacing the kenseikan through his own unruly hair, his midnight eyes hidden behind their lids, creating a picture of rumination Haru could not place a reason to. The tea arrived just as he was finishing; they drank in silence that morning, whether due to their musings or their weariness. On more than one occasion, Byakuya tried to stifle a yawn only to be caught by the scrutinizing eyes lurking behind his guest's glasses.

With the cups stacked neatly on the tray, the twain departed, Haru following loyally behind in the noble's shadow as she always did. "You may walk beside me if you wish."

"Iie," she responded, smiling in thanks at his offer. "If you recall correctly, I said I wished to stay in your shadow."

"What is night but one large shadow? Are you saying it is not of sufficient size to hide you?"

"In size, perhaps, but not in power." Byakuya ceased his graceful amble for a moment, turning to the girl with a puzzled look and an incredulously arched brow. It was fortunate for Haru that she stopped walking at the same moment; otherwise, they would have shared yet another unnecessary collision. "I have courted the night on several occasions; it is not nearly as interesting as you are."

"Perhaps I should have let you sleep. Your manner of speaking this early in the morning is that of a lunatic." A mock scowl worked its way into her expression, at which he reached out a tentative hand to her. Only after a few moments could she gather his intention, and, releasing her sword with one of her own, laced her fingers through his before continuing forward, matching his pace as she tried to conceal the blush gathering in her cheeks. "Does this arrangement displease you?"

"Iie… of course not, but…" She thought again of his sly methods from three nights previous, when he himself participated in thievery. There had been no more kisses since that night, but Haru took note of some minor change in his gaze that only appeared when they were alone. As he had said on that night, her presence was enough, and he tried to gain no more than her presence, whether sitting at her side or laying with his head in her lap while they gazed at the empty night sky and wished for the moon's return. "Where are we going?"

"I have a meeting this morning I must see to."

"Souka, but why do you need me with you?"

"All will be explained, Haru-kun. You needn't worry." Sure enough, when the academy came into view, she could only guess that the raven-haired captain was there to visit Shimori. As luck would have it, Haru's predictions were correct, for she soon found herself seated outside of the same office she had visited roughly two weeks prior. She sat and listened to their muffled voices for a time, wavering in an out of conversation with her zanpakutoh, before she was finally called into the room, at which point a rather bizarre request was made of her. Haru already knew that any rejection on her part was out of the question, what with the obstinate look darting through his midnight gaze. She couldn't understand the motives behind the request, but something told her she would regret coming either way.

"I only need you for the day," Shimori stated, turning to the young shinigami with a pleading look. "For you see, it is typical of the higher classes to test their strengths against each other, and today, the group in my charge happens to be going up against Umari Asami's class. The trouble is… one of my students suddenly fell ill, and without a group of four, it is impossible to compete." Haru's eyes fell shut, her brows knitted together in irritation when her host's true motives for forcing her out of bed so early sprang to mind. She had half a mind to crack his skull open, but in light of civility and reason, she merely sat under a guise of composure. "These competitions are very important, though they are of a friendly nature. They not only gives participants and observing students a splendid lesson in kenjutsu, but it gives other teachers like myself a chance to evaluate their progress, not to mention these fights are partly what allows students to become full-fledged shinigami."

"Would my participation then not be considered cheating?"

"Not at all," Byakuya chimed in. "You have not been placed in a division and given a seat, and in existing outside our ranking system, you thus are not technically a shinigami." She was unsure of whether or not to take his words as an insult. "Furthermore, you never attended this academy. Instead, all of your training came from an external source. It will be an evaluation of your own abilities."

"You already know I can fight. You have seen me kill an arrancar using only kidou, and twice, you have gone up against me yourself. Even if I lost both times, I was still able to hold my own against you. My point is, Byakuya-sama, you have already personally evaluated me twice. Exactly what information are you lacking?" Byakuya couldn't help but sigh at her rebellion; he would never admit it, but her resistance actually surprised him. Haru struck him as the type of person that would jump on an opportunity to fight under favorable conditions. Apparently, he had failed to take into account the rather rude awakening he so unkindly bestowed upon her.

"Shimori will be the one evaluating you. Meanwhile, I will be a prisoner to my paperwork. I have asked him to give me a full report of your performance as I cannot be there to watch you myself. I am certain he will be thorough."

"What does all this have to do with anything?" she retorted.

"These evaluations are examined by the entire academy's staff and all thirteen captains at graduation, among various other records kept by the school, to decide placement and seating of new graduates. So you see, if my class should fail to participate, they may be looked upon unfavorably when they depart."

"That is unfortunate," Haru stated, sighing heavily and throwing her gaze at the corner, wishing that she was still in his futon sleeping the morning away. Sensing the anticipating gaze of Shimori on her, she turned to him with an aggravated sigh. "Is there no other way?"

"Regretfully, there is none."

"Then I suppose I shall have to concede."

"Excellent!" Shimori, in his excitement, leapt up from his seat, clapping his hands together with a bow of thanks. "I shall not forget this kindness, Tokazawa-san." She couldn't help but sigh wearily as she rose with difficulty. The aches and pains of her battle with Byakuya would not soon be forgotten; she was wise enough to know that, yet she still insisted on putting her body through additional trials of strength while recovering.

_It must be true,_ she thought dolefully. _There really is no rest for the weary…_ Before Haru grew too miserable on account of her own musings, she found a spare uniform rammed into her arms. Suzaku struck the floor with an almost rebellious clatter as Shimori and his noble accomplice left the small, somewhat cluttered office to allow her an ample opportunity to change. The look Byakuya gave her when the door cautioned her not to take too long, so without a moment's delay, she set herself about the task, setting her own shinigami uniform aside in favor of the student's guise. She arranged the haori carefully before tying the belt of her red hakama, feeling rather exposed due to the fact that the uniform was a sleeveless rendition of the original.

_Haru-sama, you shouldn't be overexerting yourself,_ Suzaku cautioned her while she finished arranging her garments and loosened the tie in her hair._You are still recovering from your previous battle._

"For some reason, I cannot tell that man no," she retorted, taking the red ribbon between her teeth while she straightened the nutmeg locks with her fingers. Once she was satisfied, she wrapped the thin strip of fabric around the mass several times before tying it into a square knot. The ends draped hung to the middle of her back, but the ends of her hair stretched almost past her hips. _It is going to be a long day_, she thought with a sigh, beginning the process of winding Suzaku's hilt with the white strip of fabric that had previously been tied to the silver hoop at its top.

_Haru-sama…_

"I have no intention of releasing you today. Please forgive me." The forlorn silver rectangle flickered an assent in the poor light of Shimori's office. It took a bit of effort, but Haru finally finished the job. Taking her sword up in her usual manner, she turned towards the door just as it was opening. Byakuya stood in the doorway for a few moments, studying Haru with the utmost hint of intrigue racing across his otherwise stoic gaze. "Byakuya-sama…"

"This does not inconvenience you in any way, does it?" His concern for her own schedule was startling to a degree that nearly made her drop her zanpakutoh a second time. She turned her gaze towards a corner and shook her head with some effort, listening intently as the door slid shut and his feet fell across the floor. "Tell me the truth, Haru-kun… I cannot stand it when you make feeble attempts to lie." Under normal circumstances, she would not have winced at his touch, but with his bare palm against her own bare arm, Haru found herself unable to do so. Almost immediately, he drew away despite the girl's gaze beseeching him to return his hand. "Are you still in pain?"

"Just a little." This time, when his palm rested against her upper arm, Haru restrained the flinch that may have indicated otherwise. It was still a little awkward, succumbing to his touch, and the best she could do was drop her gaze and pray that her blush was hidden. When Byakuya's other hand slipped under her chin, she obediently raised her eyes.

"Why do you hide from me?" he murmured, leaning closer to get a decent view of those enigmatic silvery-violet orbs, so clear that he could almost see his own reflection in them. Haru, being unable to bear it any longer, closed her fists around the folds of his captain's haori and buried her face in his shoulder, sighing against it as his arms loosely wrapped around her. Her regular rate of breathing faltered for a moment before resuming as that wayward finger raced along her spine. "You are doing a terrible job of concealing your pain. If this is too much to ask of you in your condition…"

"Iie!" she cried, pulling away and locking her gaze on his own. "I have no doubt in my abilities to perform sufficiently. It's just…"

"Just what?" Byakuya could already guess what Haru was thinking about that made her face turn so red, and from the way her hands moved anxiously about her sword. He fought a hard battle against the smile rising to his face before brushing his fingertips against her reddening cheeks. "Were my motives unclear, Haru-kun?" As if to emphasize his point, he began to lean forward slowly, tentatively, drawing the red fire out of her cheeks with his remarkably intense gaze.

"We… we are in Shimori-san's office," she murmured as firmly as she could. "He could come back…"

"A valid point, but it is well worth the risk. Don't you agree?" With his midnight gaze piercing her the way it was, Haru failed to put up an argument entirely. The only thing occupying her mind at the moment was anticipation, or something like it, for his gaze was intolerable and oppressive and drew her own to a close. A half-chuckle escaped him as he placed a hand on her other shoulder, pulling her forward and pressing his lips gently against her cheek. Then, just as suddenly as he had leaned forward, Byakuya drew away, his eyes flashing in amusement.

"What was that for?" she demanded.

"Nothing at all… you just looked cute."

"Byakuya-sama…" The heat in her voice drew the slightest ghost of a smile to his lips.

"You may be cute when you are embarrassed, but you are nothing short of adorable when you are angry." Haru glared sharply at him from behind her glasses, her vehemence flashing clearly across her violet eyes. "Matte…" With a swift movement, he pulled the glasses away from her eyes, folding them up and tucking them somewhere in his haori. He held Haru back effortlessly by using nothing more than his eyes. Her anger quickly changed to helpless mortification as her eyes fell to the ground. She reached for them immediately, but his own hand stopped her own before it reached its destination.

"You're so cruel, taking a blind girl's glasses," she retorted, relinquishing her efforts and crossing her arms discontentedly. This time, when Byakuya leaned forward, he placed his mouth right next to her ear, so close that his breath struck it gently as he spoke.

"Do you take me for a fool? I know you can see without them." His fingertips trailed gently along her back as if to emphasize his point before he withdrew to a safe distance, turning his back to the bewildered and shuddering girl. "If you perform well, I shall return them. Otherwise, I will no longer allow you to hide behind them in my presence." With that insufferable promise, he slid the door open, his scarf waving to Haru as he stepped forward. Though his eyes told her clearly to follow, she could not do so immediately due to the sudden weakness in her legs, but her mind eventually convinced her body that remaining stationary was doing nothing for her. With a resolute sigh, she tucked her zanpakutoh into the belt at her side and scurried after her host, relishing her last few moments standing in his shadow.

"Byakuya-sama, did I do something to anger you?"

"What gave you that idea?"

"You are being rather direct today. You have not been so since three days ago when I borrowed your scarf."

"So, you call lifting it while I am sleeping 'borrowing?' I thought we both agreed that you were a thief."

"No more of a thief than you are." Haru couldn't help but laugh when he faltered slightly, knowing full well that she had struck some sort of nerve, "and what's more, I am in my right mind. Would you believe the thoughts of a madman?"

"I never said I was a madman," he retorted.

"But you said you were mad in some sense because of me." Sighing his defeat, Byakuya rose a hand to his head and nodded. It was going to be a long day; already, he knew that. "Byakuya-sama, daijobu desu ka?" The noble made a quiet noise of affirmation, but that was all the farther his response went. A slight shudder made its way through Haru at the absence of his gaze, and with a rapidity that startled him into halting, she seized a fistful of his scarf and threw herself at his back, rubbing her face against his captain's haori without regard as to who may see them. "It is my fault, if you are not all right. You have fallen behind in your paperwork on my account. If I hadn't insisted on fighting you…" Haru's breath wandered through the fabric, striking is bare skin with tantalizingly gentle airy fingers.

"Your worry is wasted," he said, his tone detached as usual. "You should be focusing on your own task, Haru-kun. I do not want to be the reason for any ill performance on your part." For some reason, the young shinigami smiled at his words, not because she didn't take them seriously, but because she must have found some meaning hidden behind them that he himself was unaware of. "Are you going to let go?"

"Eventually," she replied. A sigh of defeat was his only rebellion, but after a time of working her fingers up and down the fabric, Haru entered a frame of mind that was content enough to coax her into relinquishing her grip. "Gomenasai, Byakuya-sama, but I just can't help myself sometimes. That scarf of yours is terribly soft."

"Then you understand me perfectly well, and I no longer have a need to justify myself." It took Haru a moment to reason out precisely what Byakuya was referring to, especially since they had by that point resumed walking. An intense blush stole across her cheeks, bringing out the purple tint in her eyes, as she stared at the back of her host, wishing she could see inside him just to discover what exactly he was feeling at the moment. His words carried no trace of emotion, not even as he added to them. "Are you certain you are up to this?"

"Hai, Byakuya-sama. It is the least I can do." Byakuya stopped abruptly, listening as his second shadow faltered in her steps. He then nodded to a door on his left once he was certain that no unwanted collision would befall him.

"Behind this door, you will find Shimori and the other upper-level students. It is here that I must leave you; otherwise, I will be late in attending to my own task." She bowed her head as he turned around, his piercing eyes wandering straight for her own, but without her glasses and in full light, Haru felt rather exposed. She thus kept her gaze locked on his feet, trying not to let her shoulders quiver at the pain racing through her body at the moment. "I trust you to perform well. Do not disappoint me." And with that, the sixth division captain disappeared, leaving a rather tense Haru in a deserted hallway. Sensing reiatsu within the room, she cautiously pulled it open, peering with one open eye in side before having her barrier thrust aside by the ever eager Shimori.

"It seems our replacement has arrived," he said with a sickening level of glee, clapping his hands together and beaming down at the rather awkward looking Haru. "Come now, don't be shy… introduce yourself." He stepped aside, revealing the interior of the room and the three other students sitting within it. She hesitated for a moment before nodding an ascent and pacing slowly inside. All eyes followed her as she treaded lightly across the floor, her hands grasping at empty air while she silently reminded herself that her zanpakutoh was at her left side. Futility and the dull aches of a fight three days past worked its way through her muscles; a particularly sharp pain caught her right ankle at that precise moment, causing her to stumble awkwardly. Fortune deemed it fit that she remain standing, and once she reobtained her equilibrium, Haru silently observed her crowd of observers.

"My name is Tokazawa Miharu. It is a pleasure to meet you all." She bowed her head, wondering in the stillness that followed precisely what they thought of her, an awkward looking girl of fifteen with a wooden sword and violet eyes.

"Sensei, is this some kind of joke?"

"Don't be so rude! She's probably scared to death," responded the only male student, rising from his seat and shooting the offending young woman a glare full of daggers. Questioningly, she glanced up at her defender, whose pale blue eyes smiled warmly at her. "Don't listen to Tomo; she's always skeptical."

"And you trust too easily, Hajime," she shot back. "You're too damn liberal with your faith… that's your problem."

"Tatsuko-san, it is too early for this," Shimori said in a firm voice. "Take your seat."

"Hai, sensei," she retorted, resting her hand in her chin as she continued her silent scrutiny of the young girl. Once Shimori was close enough, Haru spoke to him in a voice hardly above a whisper.

"Have you not told them about my credentials, Shimori-san?"

"I kept your kidou skills and your credentials on the down low; no one besides my kidou students and Byakuya-sama know about that incident. Furthermore, I told them you were a recent addition to the upper class due to your incredible skills. I suggest you stick with my ruse lest you raise suspicions."

"Really, now?" Haru inquired, her violet eyes flashing with seldom-implemented vehemence. "I figured since this was all an honest ploy to fill a gap in your team, you would be more open with my skill level."

"It is fairer to keep the secret for now. After all, I don't want them feeling anxious on your account, and I certainly don't want your credentials affecting the performance of Umari-san's students."

"You there, Shinjin-san!"

_Not this again…_ Haru thought dismally, hiding her frustration with a dangerous smile.

"I haven't seen you around the academy before. What class are you from?"

"Does it really matter?" she returned casually. "I'm in this class now, no thanks to some turn of fortune's hand…" Haru's voice trailed off, her eyes glimmering sharply as the memory of that fortune, or rather misfortune, came to mind. _It's a pity I can't tell them that misfortune has a name, or rather Mister Fortune, and that he is a shinigami like they aspire to be._

"What's with the wooden sword?" another girl piped up.

"This is the only sword I will ever use," Haru responded.

"What good will that do you?"

"Enough," Shimori interrupted. "Tokazawa-san has kindly offered us her talent and services for the day. Please be civil for my sake." They quieted at his command, but Haru's relief was short-lived. He seemed to have forgotten something in his office, and before she could offer to accompany him to search for said item, Shimori disappeared into the corridor.

"If Tatsuo hadn't caught that cold, we wouldn't be in this predicament," Tomo retorted, scratching her head. "She doesn't look like much to me… just a weak, shy little girl with a wooden sword who has absolutely no hope in this line of business…"

"Nemo me impune lacessit."

"Eh? Nani? I didn't understand a word of that."

"You wouldn't, Tomo," Hajime replied. "It's from Poe."

"Po? What, you mean like some Chinese guy? Hajime, I must've thrown you too hard yesterday during practice. That didn't sound Chinese to me."

"He was an American," Haru retorted, crossing her arms.

"'The Cask of Amontillado,' right?"

"I am surprised someone here reads enough to know two bits of information about American literature."

"Hajime spends all his spare time reading," stated the girl who questioned her wooden sword earlier. "Tomo keeps telling him he needs to get a girlfriend, but for some reason, all he does is stutter when she mentions it."

"It pisses me off, that's why," Hajime returned coolly. "At any rate, we should all introduce ourselves to Tokazawa-san…"

"Iie, call me Haru. I insist," she interrupted. Introductions went smoothly thereafter; the other student's name was Shizuka, and she, like Haru, was new to the upper class. Eventually, discussion gave way to minute particulars of life, and before any of them realized it, Shimori had returned with breakfast. Nerves drove them to reflective silence with the exception of their substitute, who cheerfully ate her meal as if nothing lay ahead.

"You have no idea what's in store, Shinjin-san," Tomo retorted.

"I was not given the particulars."

"You mean you volunteered for this without even knowing what was involved? You must be dumber than I thought."

"I have enough wits to know literature," she returned calmly, sipping her tea thoughtfully. "As you are the expert, Tomo-san, why not explain it in terms I can understand?"

"There are three rounds in our examination. In the first, the four of us are matched against members of the opposing class, and only hand-to-hand combat is permitted. The second match is intended to test the kenjutsu of those that defeat their opponent in the first round, and the final match is a no-holds-barred, all out combat between the two remaining students. Last one standing receives honor and bragging rights until a subsequent defeat."

"Souka," Haru said, smiling thoughtfully at the recollection of Urahara's tripartite training and his eventual integration of all three arts. "Does this no-holds-barred portion involve the use of kidou, by chance?"

"You don't need to worry about that, Shinjin-san, because I'll be getting that top spot today."

"Typical Tomo," Shizuka sighed. "She's always so outgoing at this time of day. Usually, Tatsuo-senpai keeps her under control, but with him gone…" Her eyes clouded with sorrow and fell, her shoulders quivering. "It's so unfortunate… what am I supposed to do today? Senpai is always looking after me, too… he was the only one that could even hope to stand against Fujiwara-san, and… if I get pitted against him…"

"I'll take the bastard down myself."

"Don't be unrealistic, Tomo," Hajime put in. "We all know that Takumi is probably better than the four of us put together. None of us can hope to beat him." It was clear from the look in her eyes that Haru was considering it all silently, shifting her eyes to Shimori as he discretely sipped his tea.

"Shimori-san, tell me more about this… Fujiwara Takumi."

"He is much like yourself, Tokazawa-san," replied the somewhat anxious teacher, "in that, like you, he is a young prodigy. I'm afraid I can say no more, as he is Umari-san's student."

"Student? He's a regular hellfire is what he is… a bastard to fight with, and he's none too discrete with the pride he takes in thwarting we lesser beings."

"Tatsuko-san…"

"But sensei…"

"I'll hear no more of it. Arrogant or not, Fujiwara-san is a promising young man who will one day make a fine shinigami."

"Arrogance and pride…" Haru murmured, sipping her tea again before eating a bite of rice. For some reason, they fell silent at her tone and remained so as she continued. "Thin line parts poisons that are deadly in excess."

"Was that a haiku?" Hajime asked incredulously.

"Oh, sort of… I'm known to do that from time to time. Just ignore me."

"It's difficult to ignore brilliance."

"So she can recite poetry," Tomo retorted. "Let's see if she can save us from Takumi's crushing defeat. Sensei can't take another loss."

"Loss?"

"Hai," Shizuka put in. "You see, only eight teachers are allowed to teach the upper class at any one given time. There is a huge written exam one must take before even being considered for the job."

"So the evaluation not only measures our performances, but that of the teachers as well?"

"Poor Shimori-sensei… ever since Kuchiki Byakuya's class, he has been rather unfortunate in regards to who is placed under his instruction."

"Nothing can live up to those four… that's all. But from my understanding, Fujiwara-san is coming close…" Haru's eyes grew a bit contemptuous at those words, even if they may have been true. Something strange swept over her as she considered it, this mere man overcoming the reputation set forth by her host… almost as if she wanted to protect that precedent from being terminated. More than wanting to aid Shimori or regain any part of his crumbling reputation, more than to protect her own pride, Haru quivered with the overwhelming and intense determination to salvage what little memory was left of the Kuchiki heir at that school. "Tokazawa-san?"

"I'll do it," she said in a voice quite different from the pacified tone she had until that point maintained. "By all that I hold dear, my every drop of blood in my veins, and by my pride as a shinigami, I will defeat Fujiwara Takumi."

"It can't be done," Tomo replied. "Trust me, we've all tried, even Shizuka. She wouldn't speak for weeks afterwards, and I don't blame her." Frustrated with the way the situation stood, Haru rose from her seat, muttering her thanks for the meal before walking towards the door. "Shinjin-san…"

"I need some air," she replied.

"Then take this with you," Shimori stated, handing her a small manual as the rigid girl passed him. "It's a rulebook. I suggest you read it."

"Hai." None of them quite knew whether or not it was her intention to slam the door when she left, or whether the silence that lingered after her disappearance amplified the sound beyond normal levels. Whatever the case, their speechlessness hung in the tense air long after Haru disappeared.

"See? You really should listen to Tatsuo…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tomo demanded.

"If you didn't say such rude things, you wouldn't upset people," Hajime responded.

"Nani? I'm just telling the truth. It can't be done; it's as simple as that. You want me to lie to the poor, delusional girl?"

"That's enough," Shimori interrupted, recalling the manner in which Byakuya volunteered his young substitute, his stoic eyes flickering with a sort of fondness that only an old mentor could pick up on. "I've got this much to say," he continued after his brief reflection, draining his tea cup in one final swig. "If anyone can defeat young Fujiwara-san in battle, I have no doubt in my mind that Tokazawa-san will be the one to do it."

When the time came, Haru took her place silently and thoughtfully amongst her pseudo-classmates, stepping lightly alongside them into the room in which the evaluations were to be held. What surprised her most was the size of the audience, not all of whom were wearing the white haori of the student's uniform. Scattered here and there were actual shinigami, who had come for one reason or another to observe the dual. _I can understand why the students are here, but… why would a full-fledged shinigami have a reason to come here? _Suddenly, her steps faltered as a particular shinigami caught her attention. _What the hell is Rukia doing here?_ Haru immediately returned her eyes to the ground, not wanting a confrontation or to be recognized.

"Haru-san!" At the call, she glanced up to see a beaming Reiko waving her hand encouragingly, Toshi standing beside her with that confident smirk. She couldn't help but return the smile as her anxiety died away and she was left looking at her opponents.

"Hajime-san, which one is Fujiwara?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he whispered back. Of course it was; even from that distance, Haru could see him, looking like some sort of cherub with his pale blond locks and his cool, clear blue eyes. Already, his presence was rubbing her the wrong way, but she tried not to let it show as Shimori struck up a conversation with his fellow instructor about the replacement. It gave her time to measure up the competition; the lack of female participants in the opposing class was rather disheartening, but their clear contempt and lighthearted manner of regarding Haru was even more so.

"Shimori actually sunk so far as to pluck some girl from the far reaches of Soul Society to replace Tatsuo?" The arrogance in his voice made it overwhelmingly difficult to retain her placid expression, even as he stepped forward with the intention of measuring her up. Shizuka, being the timid girl she was, quickly scurried behind Tomo, who threw the approaching young man a sharp glare of warning. "He may as well resign. You've got no chance."

"There is always a chance," Hajime answered calmly.

"Like an ice cube's chance in hell." Haru fell into a silent moment of analysis, closing her eyes and shutting off all external noise as she often did in meditation, but the boy's presence was so overwhelming that it summoned her back. "You think your chance rests in a girl with a wooden sword? I must've hit you too hard last time we faced off, Hajime. Well, what's the matter, Shinjin-san? You scared?" She said nothing in reply but merely stood and studied him thoughtfully, thoroughly, for any hint or sign of weakness. Then came the most disheartening blow of all: even after years of analyzing her opponent in that manner, she could find none. "She a mute or something, because if she was, she'd be perfectly useless."

"Such petty words are not worth a response," she said. "I would watch what I say if I were you, Fujiwara Takumi. You may anger me."

"What would you do about it?" Her gaze shifted to Shimori and Umari, whose conversation seemed to be drawing to a close. With a startling calmness, Haru took a single step forward, placing herself by the slightly discomforted Hajime and locking her gaze with the one boring into her.

"Nemo me impune lacessit." Before Takumi could utter any sort of reply, the two teachers returned, still conversing over the matter of the temporary replacement.

"We are in agreement, then, that her participation in this match is entirely fair?"

"Of course, Shimori-san, considering she has no formal training here and she needs to be evaluated in some way."

"And the matter of her status…"

"Will go unmentioned." Umari ceased as she examined the girl, her face turning slightly pale when the violet eyes so full of anticipation and rebellion flashed in her direction. "Good gods…" Realizing she had uttered her explanation aloud, the bewildered teacher cleared her throat and regained her composure. "Tokazawa-san, I presume?" Haru bowed her head in reply to indicate the correctness. "Shimori-san has explained the situation to me, and amongst the staff, the judges, and the word of two captains, we have decided to allow your participation in today's evaluation as Asahara Tatsuo's substitute."

"I am honored," she replied, bowing again. "But… two captains?"

"Did I fail to mention that Ukitake-taichou would be here today?"

"Uki…take?" She tried to recollect the name, but with the rapidity the events of the morning possessed, Haru couldn't bring any sort of memory to mind.

"Great… she's an amnesiac, too," muttered Takumi in a voice too quiet for either of the teachers to overhear. His classmates snickered, which served to intensify the very focus they so desired to scatter. A triumphant glint of recognition passed through her gaze; otherwise, she gave no indicator that she recognized the name. Rukia must have been with him because she was a member of the thirteenth division. Having made sense of things, Haru's thoughtful smile gave way to contented bliss, even as Rukia's eyes locked on her own. There was no hostility between them; only a distance that observing the fight may resolve. She raised her hand discretely and in a friendly gesture, to which Rukia responded with a slight nod of her head. Relief swept through her veins and lingered until she sized up the competition. If they had anything to say about it, she was in for a fight.

Haru suddenly became aware that both classes had lined up single file, with their teachers at the head. They faced each other for a brief moment, and when instinct probed her to bow with the rest of them, she did so, locking her eyes once more on the rising young prodigy, who for some reason seemed bow slightly less low than the rest of them. Then, they took their respective positions on each side of the room, sitting in a row of chairs provided for them. "That line from Poe seems to be your mantra," Hajime noted as he lowered himself.

"It was appropriate, was it not?"

"Highly," he said with a smile. "Takumi gets flustered when he doesn't understand things. I've been his classmate several times in the past."

"Souka… was he always such a prick?" Hajime had to bite back a laugh since the first match was starting, a task that Tomo was far less successful at.

"Rookie or not, you've got a good eye for character," she stated. Shimori shushed them before the conversation went any further. The murmurs in the room fell to a hush as what appeared to be some sort of judge or referee stepped forward. The shy and quiet Shizuka bowed to her opponent, a stoutly-built young man who seemed just as quiet and shy as she was.

"Shimori-san, how does this work exactly?" Haru whispered to him.

"Watch, and you will learn." In the judge's hand was a white flag, which had recently shot into the air. It seemed to fall slowly just to prolong her period of observation. Once it did, the two students shot towards each other, Shizuka blocking the well aimed kick with her wrist. Her once shy eyes were calculating and determined, her hesitant movements now certain as she dodged the next blow and swung one foot out to trip her opponent. To and fro they moved, always avoiding the white ring in which they quarreled.

"Come on, Shizuka…" Tomo murmured when the girl swayed left. With a strong closed-hand strike to the stomach and the kick that followed it, her opponent was sent flying, colliding with the ground just outside the ring. He landed on all fours instead of sprawled out as she had intended, but nonetheless, the judge raised the white flag in Shizuka's direction, indicating that she was the victor. The young man rose, and they bowed a second time before returning to their respective corners. Breathlessly, the victor lowered herself into her chair, still trembling from the excitement and the prospect of fighting in front of an audience. "Nice job… looks like that extra training yesterday paid off."

"Hai, senpai," she managed, putting her hands on her knees and bowing her head.

"Do you understand how, Tokazawa-san?" Shimori asked.

"I think so," she responded. "This first portion of the evaluation requires only the use of physical attacks and agility, but it also requires considerable stamina if one is to last long. The object is to knock your opponent outside the ring, if I am correct in my reasoning."

"Bravo!" he said cheerfully, clapping his hands together. "What brilliant reason, Tokazawa-san!"

"But how does one know who their opponent is?"

"That's easy," Tomo stated, rising from her chair. "I'm in the second seat, so I'm next. That means you go last, Shinjin-san… you'd better make it worth seeing." Haru watched in fascination as the process was repeated, and once the fight was initiated, she turned to a rather anxious looking Hajime, whose opponent shot occasional triumphant looks in their direction.

"Are there stipulations to this round other than limiting technique to martial arts?"

"What do you mean?" Hajime inquired, watching as Tomo countered with a punch.

"Say hypothetically part of my body crosses the ring, but I do not physically touch the ground outside of it. Would that count as any sort of deduction or disqualification?"

"No; I've done it plenty of times. If you watch closely, Tomo does too." At that precise moment, Shimori's student leaned back, her head clearly crossing the line, but the judge did nothing to indicate any sort of loss. Just then, Tomo landed the deciding blow, flinging her opponent out of the ring with much more force than Shizuka had, and after bowing to the loser, she too returned to her seat.

"May the gods have mercy on your poor soul, Hajime."

"Domo," he retorted before rising, trying to escape the several pairs of eyes following him.

"I feel sorry for him," Shizuka sighed. "To be pitted against Takumi-senpai in the first round… he won't get to fight the rest of the day." It was with heavy sorrow that Haru recalled the rulebook, which she returned to Shimori preceding their entrance.

"The evaluation is set up something like a tournament," Shimori murmured. "Once you lose a round, you're done for the day."

"Have some faith, Shimori-san. I'm sure Hajime will be all right."

"Are you kidding me?" Tomo inquired. "Martial arts are his weakest subjects. He's just good enough to get by, unlike Shizuka and me; we're relatively balanced, but Hajime's strength lies in his kidou."

"Funny you should say that," she noted as she watched the two take their bows, Takumi still not bowing low enough for Haru's taste. There was rivalry in their eyes as they stood upright again, and to see Hajime, who seemed a rather gentle young man, so consumed with such an overwhelmingly strong sentiment was a little unsettling. "I began learning kidou when I was seven. So far, I have mastered the first sixty-four and can use them without the incantation."

"Sixty-four?" Tomo cried. "Just who trained you?"

"He told me I should refrain from using his name," Haru replied. "Nevertheless, my sensei used a rigorous, tripartite technique that is unequivocally insignificant to his most important lesson." She had no time to answer, for just as her words faded away, the battle began, and with untold ferocity, the two students rushed at each other, exchanging blows at an unbelievable speed and countering what strikes were meant to throw off their balances. Hajime ducked a punch, blocked the following kick with difficulty, but he was unable to recover entirely before another strike threw off his balance. Determined to draw out the fight, he dodged the next strike, delivering a kick of his own only to have it blocked by Takumi's wrist. His balance was thrown askew when, in a vulnerable moment of stillness following his attempt, the opposing student easily wrapped his ankle around Hajime's. Unable to stop himself from falling, he struck the ground with a wince but quickly regained his footing since he had not technically left the ring.

Even Haru saw it was futile; being dizzy from the fall and with the blood from one temple running down his chin, Hajime was too distracted to be much of an opponent. The final blow came in the form of a kick to the stomach, which threw him well outside the borders with almost unbelievable ferocity. The judge signaled Takumi's victory, and after a moment of laying still to recover, the dizzy and sore Hajime picked himself up, swaying unsteadily as he returned to face the victor. As they bowed, a silent yet condescending congratulation passed between, and in a volume the judge could not hear, the arrogant Takumi delivered a warning. "Tell your little substitute to forfeit."

"Why would I do something like that?"

"Because she stands no chance, and it would be a pity to destroy such a pretty face. Don't you agree?"

"Burn in hell, Takumi." Haru shifted uncomfortably at the tension in the air, but only she seemed affected.

"Typical Hajime… they've been rivals since they entered the academy. In fact, I'd go so far as to say they used to be friends, but not anymore… not since Mari."

"So they got in a fight over a girl?"

"That's what they say," Shizuka replied shyly.

"Gods… men are too damn troublesome," but Haru withheld her further complaints as Hajime returned and fell into his chair, wiping the blood away from his face with mild indifference.

"Guess I lost." His tone was rather cheery for having just lost a fight with his rival in academia and in love. Noting the way that Haru was looking at him, he managed a smile despite his dizziness and ran a hand through his hair.

"Reckless baka," she retorted, rising from her seat and setting her sword gingerly aside before taking her position. As she bowed, she noticed her opponent speak quietly just as Takumi had to Hajime moments before.

"Did you get the message, Shinjin-san?"

"What message?" she inquired innocently.

"Give it up, or Takumi's going to mess you up so bad, you won't be able to get out of bed for a week." Haru thought it over as she rose, watching out of the corner of her eye as the flag rose. In that moment, everything stopped, everything disappeared, except the young man standing in front of her, who had no visible or logical grudge against Haru other than her presence where she did not belong. Actually, he seemed to pity her a little underneath the rejection. She considered this for a moment, shifting her eyes to the flag hanging in the air before shutting everything out and going to that place she had taken Reiko just two weeks prior to that moment.

The moment it fell, Haru shot forward, knocking his fist away with a kick, which had enough force behind it to affectively shift him in its direction. She launched herself forward before her other foot even touched the ground, knocking her opponent a hard blow in the chest. He tried to seize her, but she soared out of his grip, turning through the air and landing just inside the parameters. He was already coming towards her again, intending to deliver a blow and knock her aside, but Haru, having anticipated the move in advance, turned her ankle so her entire body rotated. She augmented the speed of the rotation by thrusting her other leg in its intended direction, and with a powerful kick that landed squarely against his hip, her attacker was thrown aside. She followed through gracefully, returning her foot to the ground just as her opponent fell outside the line with a defeated groan.

The flag shot in her direction. Satisfied, Haru allowed a triumphant smile to cross her face, watching as her opponent picked himself up and staggered to the center of the ring. "It was an honor to fight you," Haru said as she bowed. "Would you mind giving Fujiwara-san a message for me?" He had no choice but to ascent, having just been thrown aside as if he weighed nothing at all. "I want you remember these words, and say them exactly as I say them. Can you do that for me, please?" Her politeness caught him off guard, but he paid special attention as she spoke them, and with another smile, she paced composedly to her class, who was clearly shocked with her performance.

"So, is she giving up?" Takumi inquired as the loser returned.

"There is no pride in partial victory; there is no victory in partial effort. That was her exact wording." His brow twitched in irritation as he eyed the girl across the room, who was no longer smiling but was engaging herself in conversation with the wounded Hajime.

"You're incredible," he stammered. "Where the hell did you learn how to do that?"

"I must have picked it up off of sensei…" she replied wistfully. "I wish he could be here just to see how much his training helped me out. He taught me a lot of important things about fighting and about living, but more importantly…" Haru's eyes shot to the brooding Takumi, who regarded her fiercely across the room even as she smiled warmly. "He taught me how to piss people off."

"Sounds like an interesting character to me. You still haven't told me who he was," Tomo retorted.

"I recall voicing his wish that he remain anonymous."

"Don't you know to listen to your elders when they tell you to do something, Shinjin-san?"

"Sensei is my elder."

"Aren't you just concerned you won't be able to sleep tonight, Tomo-senpai?" Shizuka asked. She looked flustered but willing to accept the complete lack of an answer in light of the venomous look on Takumi's face.

"It pays to have someone like you around, Shinjin-san. I will forever remember that look until the day I die. What did you even do to him?"

"She's probably confusing the hell out of him," Hajime responded with a shrug. "Whatever you did, I'll reap the benefits of being amused if you don't mind."

"By all means, do so." Haru crossed her arms and pondered for a moment, not taking her seat but standing with her head slightly bowed and her eyes closed. "I know this is off topic, Hajime, but you aren't hurt, are you?"

"Don't worry about him," Tomo said with a wily grin, her hand descending onto the unsuspecting head of her classmate with enough pressure to draw a slightly wince from his otherwise stationary figure. "Hajime's thick-headed… he'll be fine in a few hours."

"Tomo, that hurts…" he muttered, finally lifting her wrist away with mild irritation. The break between rounds was drawing to a close, and Haru finally contented herself with sinking into her chair.

_This isn't good…_she thought, raising a hand to wipe the remaining sweat from her brow. _I feel so weak, and already, my muscles are sore… I must not have fully recovered from fighting Byakuya-sama yet. _Fatigue crept over her momentarily, her lips parted as she drew a breath, and then, determined to press onward, she closed a hand around her sword.

"Tokazawa-san?" Hajime inquired. "Are you not feeling well?"

"Iie… just the dying remnants of another fight. I should be fine in a moment."

"You'd better get fine quickly," Tomo answered. "Shizuka is up against Takumi. It won't take long." For the first time since sitting down, Haru noted the horrified look on the quiet girl's face, the sheer terror in her eyes, the shudder in her frame as Shimori spoke words of encouragement. "Poor girl… I hope he doesn't get too out of hand."

"Out of hand?"

"Hai," Hajime answered solemnly. "His zanpakutoh is his pride and joy. Some say he has reached shikai, though none of us have ever seen him release it."

"Please tell me he isn't reckless enough to release it in a small room full of spectators."

"The gods only know what Takumi's capable of. I wouldn't put it past him." At these words, Haru heard Shizuka whimper in utter despair. Shimori tried to console her with his encouraging words, but even he seemed to know it was hopeless. She looked at the young man again across the room, her eyes glinting thoughtfully and passively. Something in his countenance reminded her of Byakuya, and it may very well have been that arrogance of his. At that moment, Shizuka's figure cut her vision, but before the girl could fully draw away, Haru put a hand on her shoulder that nearly startled her into a premature draw.

"Tokazawa-san?"

"Keep him fighting for as long as you can."

"Demo…"

"Onegai." The request was so sudden and so sincere that Shizuka couldn't find the words to answer. She simply stared at the once innocent looking substitute, realizing that those violet eyes had grown sharp with boundless determination. "There is no pride in partial victory; there is no victory in partial effort. Remember those words, Shizuka-san, and carry them with you into battle."

"But I can't win."

"I'm not asking you to win," Haru responded. "Hold on for as long as you can, and put every ounce of your being into it. If you do that, then you will still be able to walk away saying you gained some form of victory from the fight." She could feel the tremor in her companion as she spoke, one that intensified when some semblance of a threatening smile spread over Haru's expression. "You have wings. You fought for them just like the rest of us have. Now, it's time to fly, even if it's just for a moment, even if it's just a centimeter off the ground. Let your efforts take wing, Shizuka-san, and show the rest of the world how high you can rise against the cage of doubt. Show them your fortitude, your pride. Even if you fail, you will always have a next to return to." For some reason, she found the words encouraging, and without another moment's delay, she slipped away from Haru's hand, her eyes blazing with that contagious determination, her shoulders rigid with dignity.

"Whoa… I've never seen Shizuka like that. She's even hesitant when she goes up against me. What did you say to her?" Tomo stammered.

"Just sharing some words of wisdom, courtesy of my sensei," she replied, though her tone was full of grave intensity. Her hands were folded, her mouth hidden behind them, her eyes locked on the fight that was about to commence. Shizuka showed no visible signs of backing down, not even when looking her opponent in the eyes. They bowed to each other, Takumi condescendingly, and took their positions at opposite sides of the ring, each with their hand on the hilt of their katana. Then, in complete silence, they waited.

"You instilled her with some sort of false hope, didn't you?" Hajime demanded in a whisper. "That's rather cruel, Tokazawa-san."

"I gave her no false hope. I simply told her to last as long as she could, and the longer the better. It will give me more to work with." Neither the students nor their instructor caught her meaning; they only watched as the little white flag descended. Shizuka was the first to move, darting forward with commendable speed. She only drew when she was certain Takumi's blade would meet her own. Her feet slid against the floor as he pushed against her. It was with difficulty that she disengaged, drawing back and moving around the blade as it flashed in a downward motion.

"Tokazawa-san…"

"Not right now," she interrupted, her eyes following the two as their blades met a second time, clanging loudly in the silence of the room. "Were you going to ask me if I understood the rules, Shimori-san?"

"Hai."

"The fighting range has been expanded to include the entire floor, and the goal is to disarm your opponent. Whoever loses hold of his or her sword first concedes victory to the remaining possessor. In the event that both students are disarmed, they are judged on the basis of their performance. A consensus is met between the teachers present, and whoever is elected by their judgment goes on to round three." Haru's eyes grew solemn as Takumi rushed forward again, this time nearly getting past Shizuka's blade. _Judging from the looks of things, she cannot last much longer. She is getting tired, and that last blow may potentially have twisted her wrist. _The force behind her next strike showed it, for it was far weaker than the others. Takumi easily pushed her blade aside, and in three swiftly successive strikes, Shizuka had been effectively stripped of her sword.

She staggered back in shock as his blade rose again, this time intending to descend on her, perhaps because in the heat of the fight, he failed to realize that he had attained victory, or perhaps because he wanted to set an example for Haru. Shizuka quickly tripped over her own feet, falling flat on her back as his shadow loomed over her. Either way, the blow did not fall upon the frightened Shizuka but instead right into the open hands of the very girl he had tried to intimidate into quitting. With a startling calmness, Haru clasped the sword between her palms, shuddering as the blade ran across her skin. Fortunately, her reiatsu kept it from piercing the skin. Malice clouded his clear blue eyes, weakening slightly when they clashed with Haru's own. "That is far enough, Fujiwara-san. You have won your victory." When she was certain he would take it no further, she released the blade, rubbing her hands together as a trace of anxiousness raced through her blood at the prospect of all eyes being on her. "Now, bow to your opponent and take your seat."

"Surely, there is some rule against your interference." A flicker of anger made its way across her face, especially when she looked to the trembling Shizuka. Then, she turned to the judge, who looked almost as surprised as she was.

"Being a judge, I presume you have far greater knowledge of the rules than I do. Do my actions warrant or call for disqualification or penalty of any sort?" He didn't answer for a moment; he looked a little lost, pinned beneath those calmly flickering violet eyes. "Sir?"

"No rule has been broken." Triumph welled up inside of Haru, but she showed no trace of it. Instead, she turned to Shizuka and extended a hand, which was eventually taken. Once they bowed, the shy student raised her head again, smiling despite her ordeal. "Please prepare for your own fight, Tokazawa-san."

"Hai," she responded with a bow, and she trailed quickly after Shizuka.

"I flew… I really flew, didn't I?" she asked as she sat down. The others were startled at her elation, especially since she had not only lost but had also come mere moments from losing more blood than she already had. Her arm was cut and bleeding, her ankle twisted, her wrist throbbing, but her eyes were vibrant with triumph. "Did I really fly, Tokazawa-san?"

"You did well. I thank you for your efforts." Haru smiled a sort of thoughtful smile in response, one that faded with the prospect of her opponent. Tomo stared back at her competitively, wanting to crush the stable determination before she even set foot on the floor. "Tomo-san…" The brazen student said nothing as she walked past Haru, her head held high and her eyes blazing with competition. It was a little unsettling to see her own classmate (for Haru had by then adopted the mindset of a student) so set on defeating her. She knew the rules, and the rules were that the final match take place between the two best advanced students. It was inevitable that Haru would be forced into fighting Tomo since Shizuka had gone up against Takumu. Up until that moment, she thought nothing of it; instead, Haru contented herself with forgetting as she watched the opponent she hoped to face in order to analyze his technique. But the moment of recollection had come, and there was no going back.

"Tokazawa-san, you can use my sword if you want."

"Iie, Hajime. I have sworn to use only this sword until my dying breath, and I intend to keep that promise."

"But it's made of wood. You're no match for Tomo-senpai with that."

"Have a little faith, Shizuka," she said with a smile. "Besides, even broken wings can fly." Haru left her two classmates behind, watching Shizuka's back as she walked forward. _ I hate to do it, but… if I don't beat her, my plans of defeating Fujiwara will be completely destroyed. I cannot… I cannot allow that to happen. _Haru trailed behind, her footsteps uncertain, her hand resting on her sword.

"Oy, Shinjin-san!" Drawn to attention by those words, she rested her eyes on the speaker, the ever confident and highly outgoing Tatsuko Tomo. "Gomen. You won't be the one fighting Takumi today. That task belongs to me and me alone."

"I am afraid you are mistaken," Haru responded as they bowed and took up their ready stances. "You see, my presence here is not of my own will. Had I not been volunteered for this, I would not be fighting. Instead, I would be tucked safely away in a corner and meditating as I should be."

"So what are you saying? That this is all one huge favor?"

"Only for one who has done me an even greater favor." Haru's eye wandered to the judge, who dropped the flag before she could process the movement. In spite of that, she managed to get around Tomo's blade without stumbling. She leapt back again, skillfully avoiding every movement made with a grace that no one should have possessed in fighting. "Please try to understand, Tomo-san… I must fly higher than I am now."

"Will you quit with the figurative language? Just as Haru had done with Takumi, she caught the blade of the katana between her hands, using the subtle course of her reiatsu to keep it from piercing the skin. "You thought I'd let you win if you disclosed your motives? Well, I've got one, too." They were speaking in volumes only the two of them could hear, but the anguish on Tomo's face was undeniably noticeable. "I can't take it… I just can't take that damn smile of his. He's always smiling and always keeping our spirits up even when they're at their lowest, but in reality, we all know he's the one suffering the most because… because of Takumi…" Understanding flashed in Haru's eyes. It was barely noticeable, but she had seen it during his fight earlier, that unbearable grudge tearing his soul into tiny bits. That same grudge loomed in Tomo's eyes as she yanked her sword free and swung it downward again. "I can't go another day seeing him like that. I want him to smile again, this time for real. That's why… that's why…"

"You can't let me win?" Haru inquired. For some reason or another, her interjection brought a harpy-like fury out in Tomo's eyes. She shot forward with a cry of determination that was shattered by a single swing. A moment later, the sword came back down to earth, falling against the ground and sliding to a stop. Aghast that a single strike from the wooden sword loosened her grip on the sword enough to send her own sword fleeing from her grip, Tomo stared wildly at the solemn Haru for a moment.

"Nande?" she asked, her voice trembling at Haru's unforeseeable cruelty. "Nande?"

"Gomen, Tomo-san, but there is someone whose smile I want to see, too. No, it does not need to be a smile. Any sign that he is happy… that is all I wish for." Bewildered, Haru raised a hand to her forehead, resting the blade of her wooden sword against her shoulder. "He asked me to do this for Shimori-san as a favor to him. I suppose thus far, I have complied with his request, but… I can longer do so, not the way he wants me to." She tucked her sword back in her belt, thrusting her confused eyes at the bewildered Tomo. "It was an honor fighting you, Tomo-san. I thank you for your effort." They bowed to each other, Haru smiling thoughtfully all the while. "In all fairness, Tomo-san, I have a notion that Hajime needs something other than seeing Takumi fall to make him truly happy."

There were a hundred burning questions in Tomo's mind, all fighting to get out at once so that nothing but silence ensued. Before she gained her wits, Haru was walking slowly back to the class, her hands folded, her eyes doleful and musing, her shoulders rigid with foreboding. "Splendid work, Tatsuo-san! You were brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!" Shimori said as Tomo joined them, having gone to retrieve her sword. "And you too, Tokazawa-san. I have always thought he had a reason for keeping you as close as he does, and I see that I was not mistaken. You have not disappointed my expectations in the least."

"Shimori-san, how long do I have until the next match?"

"About an hour and a half."

"That long?" she asked, keeping her back to them.

"Hai. It is recommended that both participants be fully rested before fighting again for maximum performance. It also gives the other teachers enough time to prepare a barrier in case of any misfired kidou."

"Souka…" Her eyes wandered over her shoulder; the seriousness in them was almost overwhelming. "I don't suppose you have tea, do you?"

"There is some in the third drawer of the file cabinet closest to the door. I'm afraid it's only bags, though, since it is more convenient for me."

"Then would you mind… if I took one?"

"By all means, do so." Haru nodded her thanks before wandering towards the exit.

"Tokazawa-san, where are you going?"

"I need some air," was her reply, and like the air, she was quick to make herself unseen to their eyes.

* * *

Yeah... I was originally going to put all three rounds in this chapter, but I figured I'd make you all wait. Sorry about that. ; Illness is setting in... and homework... b-ah! Sorry for all the random minor ocs... I hope they didn't get on anyone's nerves. Anywho, next chapter will wrap this thing up, so there... by the way, I made it all up in case you were wondering. I know absolutely nothing about how this whole academy thing actually works in Bleach since the only academy episodes are one giant Renji/Rukia flashback with a sprinkling of Byakuya (huzzah!) So, I send you away with promises of a sweet-tastic fight scene in the next chapter, and (of course) your bi-weekly Japanese lesson! 

Iie : No

Souka : I see

Daijobu desu ka : Are you all right

Gomenasai : Formal apology

Hai : Yes

Shinjin : Rookie

Nani : What

Baka : Stupid/Idiot/Moron and such!

Demo : But

Gomen : Normal apology

Nande : Why

Ok... that was the most agonizing Japanese lesson I've ever given, probably because my throat is sore and it's midnight... I should have been sleeping eons ago. Anyway, regarding the line "Nemo me impune lacessit," it is indeed from Edgar Allen Poe's short story, "The Cask of Amontillado," and it is indeed Latin. You'll either Google it now to learn what it means, you already know what it means because useless trivia has corrupted your brain, or you'll wait until the next chapter when it will be revealed! And I apologize for the allusion to Poe... first off, Poe is awesome, second off, I couldn't help myself, and third off, I have to do SOMETHING with all this stuff I'm learning in American Literature to remember it! (Actually, that was last semester). Anyway, despite the references, I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! Many thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12: Pillar of Strength

A/N: I'm back... with a massive headache! Ok, everyone... time for a meaningless, entertaining life story before you actually get to read chapter 12. So, I was DDRing at my friend's apartment on Friday, and right in the middle of all the eight and sixteen steps in the song "Heaven is a Place on Earth" on the Supernova game, we hear a click. Other friend, who is seated comfortably in a recliner, gasps slightly, but since we are in the midst of DDRing, we completely ignore said click until WHAM! Her bed comes crashing down on our heads (it's one of the ones that folds up into the wall... you didn't think they still existed?) So now I'm suffering a never-ending headache, and the fact that I'm currently attached to a 7-minute techno remix of the ending theme to Angelic Layer doesn't help. I think everyone can learn a valuable lesson from this experience: Never DDR in front of a bed that folds into the wall.

All right... that's enough ranting for today. Without further ado, here's chapter 12! Thanks to all who have read, reviewed, alerted, favorited, etc. etc. because without you, my ego would be dead! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter 12: Pillar of Strength_

For an examination, it sure took a long time. The sun, who desperately flung its rays forth in a last attempt to warm the waking, was already sinking slowly towards the western horizon. Still, Haru relished what warmth she could get from it, but more than anything else, even the piping cup of tea between her hands, she savored her solitude. Ever since that morning, she felt naked and exposed; left with nothing to hide behind, Haru endured the matter to the best of her abilities, but she had taken all she could stand. To have a few moments with no more company than the sinking sun and a piping hot cup of tea preceding the moment of truth was a great comfort.

A heavy sigh disrupted the steam rising from the paper cup. She stared at her reflection in the tea, noting its distortion not merely due to her own unsteady hands but also due to her appearance. The hair she was supposed to keep hidden hung to her waist, and her violet eyes gleamed far too noticeably without the shield of her glasses to protect them. Other than that consciousness weighing heavily on her mind, Haru's own aches and pains were beginning to distract her. Slowly yet surely, the aches and pains from her quarrel with Byakuya worked their way into her muscles, manifesting themselves as sharp, brief pangs that made her head reel with agony. The only thing keeping her from going back and telling Shimori she could no longer continue was that inexplicable desire, that faint ember growing beneath the tinder of her determination to an uncontrollable blaze, to protect whatever reputation Byakuya left behind at the academy. _Though he probably would not approve of me protecting anything that was his, as he is more than capable of doing it himself…_

With another resolute exhalation, she took a sip of the tea. It was weak but refreshing nonetheless, especially after having spent fifteen days drinking ginger tea. _I wonder what he is doing at the moment…_ She couldn't help but smile as she imagined her host buried in paperwork, his hand moving steadily as his slate-colored eyes focused on the task intensely. It was a comfort to imagine one thing remaining constant in a place where something always seemed to be changing. Sure enough, some cool gust of wind pushed a cloud between her and the sun, intruding on her solitude in ways she was not aware of until her eyes opened.

"I thought I would find you here." She said nothing, simply stared at the shinigami for a moment with inquiry and trepidation. "Do you have a moment? I would like to discuss something with you."

"Does this concern your brother?" she asked, sipping her tea as calmly as she could manage. No doubt, a subtle heat rose in her face as memories of that morning flickered through her mind, but Rukia seemed to take no notice of it as she seated herself beside the puzzled Haru.

"Nande?" That question only served to puzzle her more. "Why does he insist on keeping you so close to him?"

"Soutaichou-sama told him to, I think. At any rate, it doesn't concern me in the least… he is letting me go for this one day and placing me at Shimori-san's disposal. As long as I retain my freedom, I cannot see his gaze as a threat."

"You're a rather suspicious character," Rukia continued, watching Haru as she sipped her tea. "You have the delicate movements of a noble, yet you claim not to be a noble. You're a shinigami who addresses the last quincy as her brother. You act as if you have lived for centuries when in reality you are Ichigo's age, and what's more, there is something in your reiatsu that is unsettling, different… _impure_…" That last word caught her attention and turned her violet gaze to silvery ice in less than half an instant. "I see I've touched a nerve. Forgive me." In light of a genuine apology, Haru allowed her fury to melt away on the wings of a sigh, broken only by the steady wince working its way through her body. "Daijobu desu ka?"

"I only wish I could answer in the affirmative." Resolutely, she sipped her tea again as the dual pain of a past battle and a terrible memory worked its way through her. "He really is an incredible fighter, Rukia-san… you should be proud to call him your brother. Three days later, and I'm still carrying the weight of that loss around with me. It is a heavy burden to bear, a very heavy burden to bear…" Her voice trailed off, as if suddenly, she was no longer addressing her quarrel with Byakuya. A faint glimmer in her violet eyes triggered the very faintest threads of sympathy within the younger Kuchiki. "You must understand, Rukia-san, that I never meant to interfere with his life. That I would be troublesome for others was the farthest thing from my mind when that car flung my body skyward."

"Iie… you misunderstand me!" she cried quickly.

"I think I understand perfectly well. You see me as a threat, something to disrupt his routine and distract him from his work." Haru's eyes were so determined and resolute that Rukia's words failed her. "I know you worry about him, as you should… he is your brother, after all. And you have every right to worry. In spite of my best intentions, I seem to be doing precisely what I have no desire to do. I am a burden and a distraction, but there are ways I can pay him back for his hospitality. This is just one of those ways." She couldn't help but smile and glance up at the sun, utilizing the moment to analyze Takumi's various methods while she waited for a response. Rukia said nothing; she merely looked on in slight wonder as the shinigami beside her, with just the sort of timid boldness she would expect from someone like Haru, sip her tea while immersing herself in resolute contemplation.

"Ichigo said something last night… about you."

"Wonderful… I am a threat to him too, now, I suppose?"

"It made me curious, and it made me want to talk to you." At this, Haru lowered her cup and set it aside, for whatever it was, it seemed worthwhile to listen to. "He said he got in a pinch one night, before I came back from Soul Society, and that you… intervened when he could no longer defend himself."

"My intention was not to interfere, or step on his pride…"

"Don't be so defensive," Rukia returned, her voice a touch irate. To emphasize her point, she shifted her sapphire eyes to the somewhat startled Haru, who quickly altered her gaze so it reflected the Kuchiki's intensity. "He said you saved his life and stopped him from doing something stupid, though he wouldn't specify exactly what sort of something." A dark glint worked its way into the clear violet gaze, but Rukia took no notice, favoring her continuance over noting such a trifle thing. "Arigato… it means a lot to me, and to the others, that you would put your life on the line for someone you have no connection with."

"You have no reason to thank me, Rukia-san. I only saved him because I hate watching people die." Something in her eyes suggested that she had done so before, and on more than one occasion. It was cold yet agonized, and it chilled Rukia straight to the bone to see such an innocent looking girl peer at her in so grim a manner.

"This morning, he said something else that peaked my interest."

"Oh?" Haru asked, raising her tea to her lips and sipping it thoughtfully.

"Yes, at breakfast…" At this point, Rukia's hands wound themselves into fists so tight, her knuckles turned white. Clearly, she did indeed see Haru as some sort of threat, but she left the point unarticulated for the moment and allowed the Kuchiki to continue. "It was about the way you fought, the combination of kicks with kenjutsu, and how it didn't look like fighting at all, but some sort of gracefully aggressive dance intended to confuse the enemy, that he had never seen anything quite like it, and that, if one was to truly judge your skills in battle, one would have to watch you take on an opponent from a distance rather than be that opponent themselves." Haru seemed to consider all of this carefully, and after draining her cup, her contemplative eyes scanned the empty road before her.

"I suppose that is one way to look at it," she replied with a shrug. "Benihime sang… it was only fitting that I learned how to dance. I must admit, Ichigo has a rather unique perspective he can gather that much from watching me fight in the dark against a bunch of hollows." A slight laugh escaped her, but her own aches impinged upon it. "Kuso," she muttered vehemently, wrapping an arm around her own waist and leaning against the wall, gritting her teeth against the pain. Haru could feel Rukia's questioning gaze burning into her. "I'm fine, really…"

"You look anything but," Rukia responded. "You're turning pale, and you look like you just broke out into a cold sweat. Are you in pain?"

"Iie… I'm just… a little sore. It should go away in a moment." It was amazing how quickly her violet eyes clouded over with distance just as the worst of the pain seemed to set in. A composed sigh escaped her, and other than the occasional shudder, Haru retained her posture without disruption. Her sword, leaning against her shoulder, seemed to be her object of focus. _Why does it hurt… now of all times? _ That was the only thought running through her mind as she willed her pain into submission. _Suzaku, I do not suppose you know something about it?_

_I am just as clueless as you are, Haru-sama, but perhaps if you told that captain to keep his hands off of you…_ Haru heard no more of her zanpakutoh's words as some approaching reiatsu caught her attention. She opened them entirely, revealing their silvery violet haze to a somewhat hesitant Rukia and the young man sauntering towards them. Seeing he had no intention of leaving, Haru forced herself to stand, squaring her shoulders and thrusting the entirety of her gaze directly on him.

"Is there something you wish to say, Fujiwara-san?"

"Yeah…" he replied, his tone cold and determined. "Forfeit." Haru raised a brow in disbelief; to think that the cocky young man had the audacity to order such a thing of her fell far beyond her line of thinking, yet there he was, standing with his arms folded across his chest as Rukia eyed the confrontation from her sitting position. "You don't stand a chance against me, not with that little wooden sword of yours. I'll cut it to pieces before you can even blink, and when I'm done, I'll cut you to pieces too." Haru returned the favor, the element of surprise, with the simplest smile. The last of her pain faded away, and the arm originally wrapped around her waist fell to her side.

"I am not sure whether to take your words as a threat or an insult."

"Take them however the hell you want. It makes no difference to me. Just know you won't be walking away from that fight, not when I'm done with you." Rukia watched Haru closely as her composure slipped, only for a moment. The violet tint in her eyes seemed to fade to an almost unnoticeable level, leaving nothing but the cold, impudent silver hue in its wake. Her hands, until that point relaxed, tightened temporarily into fists, and a gentle sigh worked its way through her entire body, emerging at last as a passive, composed, and determined exhale.

"I can do no such thing." Around that time, his jaw fell open in bewilderment, and he struggled to pick it up as Haru continued. "For you see, I am not doing this for my own sake. Someone recommended me to Shimori-san as a substitute, and I intend to fulfill that role to the very last blow, no matter what that means."

"You've lost your mind. You won't last five seconds against…"

"Are you deaf?" Rukia ordered in a stern tone. "She said she wasn't quitting. Now get lost." A trace of contempt clouded those crystal clear eyes for a moment before he condescendingly turned away.

"Fujiwara-san." Her words interrupted his steps, but he refused to turn around again. "Perhaps it is you who should forfeit."

"Why would I do that?"

Haru wondered if he could feel the dark determination brewing in her eyes as she uttered the words, "Nemo me impune lacessit." Haru watched him go with critical eyes, and as he disappeared, a wave of relief overwhelmed her. She sunk down, still smiling, to the complete disbelief of Rukia. "I'm fine… I just need to rest for a moment." She nodded in understanding and returned to her seat, observing Haru out of the corner of her eye.

"He's charming," she retorted with biting sarcasm.

"I know."

"I don't see why you put up with him as long as you did."

"I thought I would convey to him in a subtle way that I have every intention of repaying every blow he has reined down on my pride in this final fight, which means…" Haru took her sword her hands and pulled away a mere inch of the sheath, revealing the glinting silver blade lurking behind the seemingly harmless wooden sword. "I will no longer be restraining myself."

"You've been toting that thing around the whole time? Why didn't you use it?" Rukia cried.

"There was no need."

"No… need?" Haru raised a brow again, sheathing what little of her blade she had unveiled and allowing her eyes to fall shut again. After a moment of tense silence, they shot open again, fixing themselves on Rukia's own.

"I am a very pragmatic fighter; I waste no movements, and I only use what effort I deem necessary. If I find my current methods are not effective, I simply move to the next form. Usually, I go no farther than drawing, but…" At the memory, Haru smiled pleasantly, shifting her eyes skyward. "Byakuya-sama really put me through hell a few days ago. It worries me a bit, that I have not yet fully recovered, but I will not let that prevent me from performing sufficiently. After all, even broken wings can fly." As she spoke, her hand moved instinctively towards the sky, closing around an unseen earthly piece of it. Her gaze seemed to already have taken flight and was situated somewhere between the sun and the clouds. "I am unsure of what to make of him… his mannerisms, and his foolish requests. Perhaps he is doing me a favor, making me think about people for once instead of fighting people. Perhaps pushing me out of his shadow, just for today… perhaps that is in some way a favor as well. It is always hard to tell with him… but now I'm going on about nothing, aren't I?"

With that same content smile, Haru situated herself so that her hands were resting on her knees and her spine was completely straight. "You seem to understand my motives for doing this. It was not of my own accord, but of his, and I owe him too much to refuse his will at this point. Is that what you wanted?"

"I… iie…" Rukia replied. "I just wanted to address your meetings with Ichigo…"

"Then can I ask you a favor? Could you please let me use my remaining half an hour to strategize?" Haru's eyes were almost forcefully pleading, so much so that she merely sighed and rose to her feet.

"Ichigo was right. You really are something else." Rubbing her head, Rukia allowed her own bewilderment to become displaced by that intent and contagious smile. "I look forward to watching you fight without restraint. Good luck."

"Arigato… I'm going to need it." She waited until the Kuchiki was out of view to gasp in agony. Swaying, Haru clutched her left hip with her right hand and forced one eye open. It was difficult to fight the onset of tears as that ache tore through every ounce of her composure. "Kuso…" she murmured, placing her left palm flat against the ground and bowing her head as it drove her to a point of pure incomprehension. Her surroundings became distant, almost to the point that all her senses melded into one, when just as suddenly as the sharp burning sensation began, it receded to a manageable level. By that point, the tears she held back had freed themselves, she was gasping as if she had just run a marathon, and for some reason, she couldn't stop trembling. "Nande?" she muttered, giving into her tears momentarily.

Haru resolutely dried them with the back of her hand and sat erect again, this time less elatedly than before. _I have no time to deal with this right now,_she told herself. _I must formulate a strategy. _And with that, Haru's eyes fell closed, a look of pure concentration overcoming her expression. For a period, she was unaware of her surroundings; fixated only on her thoughts, she sat with her hands in her lap and her sword against her shoulder as precious, precious time slipped away. She thought it over, Takumi's every move since she first came to look at him, silently thanking Shizuka for her persistence despite the difference in strength between her and the opponent Haru now sought to defeat. She mused until she could see only one thing: that vast, unending, nothingness she and Reiko had journeyed to just days ago.

_He will be a difficult opponent, Haru-sama._

_I expected no less from him._

_But you do have a plan?_

_Naturally, _she responded, a faint smile tugging at her lips. _The question is, will my body cooperate with me long enough to enact it?_

_You could always use…_

_Gods, Suzaku,_ she interrupted, wrapping her hand around the sword. _Sensei told me to keep a low profile, remember? Actions such as that should be reserved for a moment when I can lose nothing at all by giving everything away._ Something startled Haru into opening her eyes, a presence she took no notice of until a gentle weight fell against her unoccupied shoulder. She found herself looking at her own reflection, which bounced harmlessly off the glasses of her visitor. "Ishi-nii…"

"Your father must be rolling over in his grave right now," the perturbed quincy managed, his hand quivering with anger. "You with your hair down and without your glasses… just what the hell are you thinking?"

"It was too early to think this morning; otherwise, the sixth division would be short a captain." Looking bewildered by her comment, Ishida removed his hand from her shoulder and rose it to his chin, trying to process exactly what she meant by his words. "Byakuya-sama decided to deliver recompense today of all days… he sort of stole my glasses…"

"And you _let _him?"

"It's not like I had a choice."

"You could have cracked his skull open!"

"Rukia-san would not have appreciated that," Haru replied. "At any rate, I need to go finish this." She rose easily enough, but finding her balance was another matter. If not for the wall to her right, which she sagged against almost helplessly, she would have fallen right onto the quincy.

"You can't fight like this."

"Watch me."

"Haru-sama…"

"Don't call me that," she interrupted sternly, dropping to one knee as a dizzy torrent rushed through her already unstable mind. "I told you, I gave that up a long time ago. I had no use for it; I will probably never find one." The mere effort of those words seemed to take what little energy Haru managed to accumulate. Still, she rose with unbelievable tenacity, carrying herself forward with unsteady steps until she reached the corner of the building. Upon releasing it, she swayed from side to side before quickly regaining her footing and continuing on her way with Ishida following tentatively in her shadow.

"Haru-sa… I mean, Tokazawa-san," he said, coughing slightly to clear away his near mistake, "with all do respect, I think it wise that you refrain from exerting yourself any farther than you have. If you do, then you might…"

"I will be fine."

"As you say," he sighed, pushing his glasses up in dismay. "How do you intend to fight if you're in so much pain?"

"I told you, I'm fine." But even as she said it, she staggered to the left, nearly dropping to her knees. Ishida took the arm closest to him for support and found her immediately clinging on to it.

"This isn't pain from your fight with Byakuya-san, is it?" His question was more of a comment, and Haru shot him a retort in the form of a glare that carried all the weight of the affirmation he suspected. "Then I absolutely cannot in good conscience let you walk back into that room and fight. It's ludicrous."

"It should go away soon," she answered. The tremble in the fingers wrapped around his arm spoke volumes her voice did not even begin to entail. He knew he wasn't the first person she had spoken that obstinate declaration to that day.

"If you insist on fighting, then I insist you rest a little more."

"But Ishi-nii…"

"Sit." The command was spoken with all the endearing, gentle resolve of a brother, and lacking any sort of objection, Haru did as she was told, folding her knees beneath her and propping her zanpakutoh up against her shoulder again. She looked hesitantly up at Ishida as he lowered himself beside her. "What happened?"

"Nani?"

"Something must have brought this on, a stimulus if you will." A pink tint worked its way into Haru's cheeks despite her resistance. To hide her mortification and her fears of being interrogated further on the subject, she thrust her gaze aside, her hands closing until her knuckles were white. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say that stimulus is none other than your gracious host." When Haru's gaze avoided his own, his brow twitched in irritation. "I suppose you can't help that, either?"

"Byakuya-sama is such a troublesome man," she said with a smile, "that I can't seem to say no to him." Ishida groaned woefully at her reply. "You were the one that asked, Ishi-nii…"

"You're the most troublesome girl I've ever met. You're such a pain in the neck…"

"That's my prerogative as your little sister."

"It sounds so warped when you say it, Tokazawa-san."

"Nani?" Haru inquired with mischievous fervor, wrapping both her arms around Ishida's left and leaning on his shoulder.

"T—Tokazawa-san!" She looked questioningly up at him, innocently, and almost dolefully. With one look, she managed to extinguish every argument he may have had against the contact.

"You're leaving tomorrow, aren't you?" Ishida had no idea how the girl at his side knew such a thing (it was likely something in his own mannerisms that gave the fact away), but he answered with an affirmative nod and a saddened sigh of his own. "Will you do me this one favor, and watch the last fight?"

"Of course."

"Arigato, Ishi-nii," she murmured softly, nuzzling his shoulder with sisterly affection. She examined his expression for a moment before adding, with slight irritation, "You planned to anyway."

"Kurosaki-san insisted, and Inoue-san and Sado-san wished to come along."

"The pressure is on, then." Her violet eyes wandered towards the sun, which sank dangerously low in the sky. "And from the looks of things… there isn't a moment to lose." With surprising speed, she leapt to her feet, dragging Ishida along with her.

"Chotto matte!" he cried as she pulled him forward with unexpected zeal and rapidity. "If you're going to drag me, at least have the common sense to pull the arm I don't shoot with!"

"She's late," Hajime muttered, his eyes racing over the crowd, stopping occasionally at a familiar face.

"It's because she quit."

"You know, every time you open your damn mouth, you sound stupid, so just keep it shut!" Tomo shouted, waving her fists helplessly as Hajime held her back with one hand.

"She wouldn't quit, Takumi, not unless you said something to her."

"I said plenty, but she's too obstinate to take me seriously."

"Aha! So you did go to see her!"

"Tomo, cool it." Hajime looked to Shimori, who was currently in pleading deliberation with the other teachers, asking for another slight extension no doubt. They seemed rather resolute in disqualifying her until the judge stepped in. He made some sort of suggestion or comment, which seemed to content the argumentative staff. "You're not helping matters."

"If she's late, she probably has a good reason," Shizuka offered.

"Yeah, it's because she's a coward."

"You arrogant prick!" Hajime couldn't help but yank her back at the words, throwing her to a startled Shizuka with a seldom seen ferocity. She would have leapt at her classmate had the bewildered girl not held her back. One glare from him was all it took to resurrect her long dead logic.

"You're not helping," he echoed, his eyes clouded with a haze of concern. A restless tension filled the air, permeated only by several select composed presences. _Damn it, Tokazawa-san, this is your chance. I believed you were someone we could count on, and I know I'm not mistaken in thinking so._ He barely noticed Shimori approaching, his eyes full of difficulty. He was closely followed by a sympathetic yet triumphant Umari. _Tokazawa-san… _he called silently. _Tokazawa-san…_

"I'm afraid if she doesn't arrive soon, she will forfeit all rights to the final round."

"I already told you, she's quit." His certainty probed Shimori's brow to rise, a clear inquiry as to how he attained such sureness. "She wouldn't even be worth the trouble. I can tell just by looking at her."

"Better look again." It was Hajime that spoke with such sureness. The familiar smile returned to his face as he eyed the door, through which passed two figures, one after the other. The latter closed the door behind him, following Haru as she strode forward, her eyes composed yet alight with boundless determination, a dangerous smile on her face. She stepped across the room, relishing the silence that followed her entrance, as Ishida followed closely in her footsteps.

"Is that the one you have to fight?" the quincy asked, pushing his glasses up as his eyes fell on Takumi. He could almost feel the animosity radiating from the prospective shinigami.

"Hai," she replied. "Ishi-nii, you no longer need to follow me. I can manage myself."

"I know," he replied. "I just wanted to be the last one to wish you luck."

"Arigato," she replied, turning to the quincy and bowing, "but it is no longer a matter of luck. Nonetheless, I appreciate your well-wishes." Then, she began to draw away only to be stopped a moment later by his beckon.

"Tokazawa-san." Surprised at the falter in her footfall and the fact that those determined violet eyes actually turned back towards him, he gave her a pleading look. "Can we… talk tomorrow morning like we did my first night here?" The only reply she gave was a smile before turning away, stepping forward without looking back again. "Please don't overdo it," he murmured, and he turned to take his seat with the rest of his companions.

"What took you so long?" Shimori cried as she walked past him. "Tatsuko-san nearly had a conniption, and Hajime has been restless since you left! Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about this… if you didn't want to fight, you didn't—"

"Shimori-san," she said calmly. "You should know merely from my referrer that I never leave things unfinished if I can help it." There was something in the tone that made him shutter, whether it be power or something far beyond her apparent innocence he had no qualification or ability to place. "I couldn't very well walk away and let this novice get away with trampling my pride now, could I?"

"You're the novice!" he shot back.

"Nemo me impune lacessit." With those words, his glare sharpened to the point that both Umari and Shimori were certain they were going to initiate the fight right then and there, but neither of them made a move. "Shimori-san, please ready the barrier. I have much to teach this boy." It was for the safety of the spectators that, in the event of any kidou misfiring, an invisible yet tangible barrier be erected around the floor. Haru's eyes locked on her opponent and never moved, not even as her bewildered classmates (yes, she still thought of them as such) moved a safe distance away.

"So, I'm a boy now, am I? You're just a kid."

"You're only a boy up here," Haru stated, pointing to her own head. "Your thoughts are solely about what you see with those eyes of yours, but true sight requires more… much more. If you learn that, then perhaps there is still some hope for you."

"You've got some nerve lecturing me, Shinjin-san, when you don't even know what being a shinigami is like."

"I have a name, you know," she replied heatedly, watching as the brief glimmer of a barrier went up and vanished as soon as it was complete. "It's Haru. Tokazawa Miharu." He raised a skeptical brow as he continued examining the girl standing before him, a full head and a half shorter than he himself was.

"Nice joke, Shinjin-san. I suppose next, you'll say you were recommended by some captain. No, not just some captain… the captain of the sixth division, Kuchiki Byakuya. Oh, and while we're at it, we may as well add that you're an honored guest in his household and that you've fought him several times already. I don't know what's more amazing: that he actually keeps you around or that you actually survived it." They took their bows at that point, still keeping their gazes locked.

"Stepping on my pride is one thing, but to make a mockery of Byakuya-sama's hospitality and skill level… that is something I absolutely cannot allow."

"For a moment there, you sounded serious." The flag fell; they sensed it even though their gazes were still locked. Takumi rushed towards the stationary Haru, whose feet were parted slightly in anticipation. Placidity displaced the vehemence in her eyes, and once he was in striking distance, he yanked his katana free of its sheath, swinging it in her general direction. All it took was a simple side-step, which had all the speed of his blade and more. She fell into a bit of a crouch, her eyes leering into his own as she pulled her wooden sword free. Just as his own stroke finished falling and Takumi came to the realization she wasn't there, he received a sharp strike in the right hip. He only turned towards it fast enough to see Haru vanish and reappear at his left, swinging again before he could recover enough to send his own katana racing after her. She withdrew to a safe distance, swaying slightly beneath the weight of some unarticulated discomfort while the ribbon tied about the hilt of her sword fluttered into a stationary position.

Takumi thrust a hand out to use some binding art, but before the summoning even began, Haru put out her own. "Hadou no sanjuuichi, Shakkahou." Whether it was the calmness that she uttered the words with or the fact that they produced a successful reaction that made him unable to move was beyond the both of them, but for a moment, Takumi stood rooted to the spot. Then, with surprising agility, he vanished. "Shunpo…" she murmured, shutting her eyes. "The left…" Just as the young man reappeared and let his stroke fall, she stepped aside just enough for the blade to miss her. Using the rotation she already had placed into her foot and the force of her own swing, she landed another blow against his hip, drawing away prior to Takumi getting a good grasp on her sword.

For a while, she contented herself with simply dodging his attacks, one after the other, without recoil, but at some point, either Haru's words or her desperation probed her onto the offensive again. She froze in her steps as a familiar gaze penetrated her, trying vainly to see who it was that caused her to lose her rhythm. Takumi swung again, intending not to injure her but to destroy her weapon. Seeing that intention, her gaze sharpened as a pulse of reiatsu raced through her, and before he could process what had happened, the sound of metal on metal jarred him nearly out of his composure. Their blades remained locked for a moment, until Haru's vehement violet eyes shot open again. "You are truly blind in every sense of the word." His arm trembled as she pushed against it with slightly greater force. "Just like him… he was blind, too, but I have enlightened him. My pride is not to be tread on, Fujiwara Takumi."

"To hell with your damn pride!" He disengaged and slammed his sword against her own, twisting her wrist at what should have been an uncomfortable angle, but she alleviated the discomfort by allowing her right hand to release her sword and pointing her index finger directly at his shoulder.

"Hadou no yo: byakurai." Takumi's eyes widened in horror as a bolt of lightening shot forward, striking the barrier with enough force to nearly bring it down. An agonizing pain burned its way through his arm, but glancing at it, he realized it had just grazed his flesh enough to draw blood. "You still do not understand." He looked from his wound to the girl before him, her eyes blazing with passive determination. "That's fine. I never expected someone as thick-headed as you to gather the true meaning of the words 'Nemo me impune lacessit,' so I'll tell you." Another flicker of determination passed through her gaze as, with one arm, she shoved him back and shot forward, striking is blade several times before finally locking it with his again. "It's from Poe."

"Some Chinese guy?"

"The words are Latin, not Chinese, and Poe was an American who wrote mainly during the eighteen-twenties and thirties. They are from a short story of his called 'The Cask of Amontillado.'"

"Who gives a damn about some dead American writer?"

"Even in death, he has power because of the words he left behind. Show some respect for his memory, or I'll kill you now and be done with it." To prove her point, Haru pushed him back again, sweeping the blade across the side of his face before meeting his rebuke. "Would you like to know what those words mean, Fujiwara Takumi?"

"Not really."

"Then I won't tell you." Anger clouded his clear blue gaze as he, for once, parted ways with Haru and retreated a safe distance. She watched his movements but made no move to follow him. He disappeared from view before reappearing behind her. A warning pain worked its way through her shoulders and along her spine, causing her to pause just long enough for the blade to catch the restraint in her hair. It fell into two pieces as Haru vanished, sailing above her opponent and landing in a crouch with her nutmeg hair flying wildly about her. Half of it fell across one eye, creating a rather unsettling contrast when its pigment collided with the vehement silver-violet orb. Tentatively, she took a lock between her fingers, examining its ends with slight distaste. "Otousan must be rolling over in his grave again," she said with a shrug, leering at Takumi as he raised his hand.

"Hadou no sanjyuusan: soukatsui!"

"Amateur," she murmured, raising her hand and mirroring his move calmly. They collided halfway, engulfing the entire space enclosed in the barrier with dust and obscuring everything from view.

"What's happening in there?" Orihime inquired. Ishida actually stood, pushing his glasses up his nose as if it would help him see into it. Ichigo watched him, nonchalantly propping his chin in his elbow and tilting his head.

"She's your sister, right?" inquired the orange-haired shinigami.

"She seems to say so."

"Then have some faith."

"It's hard to have faith when she's so damn reckless."

"She'll be fine," Ichigo insisted.

"I'm not so sure." When Rukia voiced her doubts, he turned to her, his face a silent concoction of disbelief and offense. Then, he simply turned his determined chocolate eyes back to the dust before him, trying vainly to pick out some shadow or movement occurring therein.

"I have faith."

"Ichigo…"

"I can't not have it, not after seeing her that night." There was a note in his voice that spoke of memories he had not disclosed, occurrences he bitterly wished away or revelations he was not yet ready to make. "She'll be fine," he said again. A brief flicker of intense reiatsu unsettled the spectators, and the dust at last began to settle. Haru's feet were parted slightly, her sword hanging from one finger as she put the silver rectangle at its top to good use. With a slight shift of her weight, she began to spin it, shutting her eyes at the blinding gleam it caught and possessed. When the blur of Takumi shot through the dust she faced, Haru stopped spinning her sword and caught it decisively, countering his blow with continued composure. The next strike scathed her arm at a price: she knocked him away with a fierce kick that threw him across the floor and nearly jarred the sword from his grip.

Haru examined him from where she stood, clutching the wound in her arm and rubbing the remaining dust out of her eyes. By then, he had risen and charged her again. She leapt over him, catching the cut he made while she was in mid-air, and with difficulty landed on her feet, her hair continuing to move even after it hit the ground. He raised his sword to attack again, and with careful skill, Haru knocked his hand aside with a kick, following through with the spin it generated and bringing her blade hard against his own again. "You seem willing to listen to me now," she managed between breathing and coughing. "Those words I keep uttering translate thus: no one insults me with impunity, which means I'll be paying back every step you've taken on my pride with interest, Fujiwara Takumi."

At some point, he must have kicked her in the stomach. The force threw her backwards, but Haru skillfully managed to stay on her feet until she slid to a stop. Only then did she drop to one knee and cough helplessly into her hand, trying vainly to regain her eyesight and her normal rate of breathing. Something sweet permeated the haze of her exhaustion, something sickening and sweet. _Kuso… _she thought, allowing the sword to drop from her hand temporarily. _That was… forceful…_

"Where's your pride now, girl?" he demanded, shooting forward again. With seldom used haste, Haru wiped the blood away from her lip and seized her sword, darting around Takumi's own. She stepped around every move thereafter, keeping one hand over her mouth and the other wrapped tightly around Sukazu's unawakened handle. "Come on… attack me already. You're losing speed." At that moment, the epiphany shone brilliantly in his eyes, and Haru knew he had discovered her weakness, but the memory of someone else's eyes drove her to a level of courage she had never in her life expected to experience.

_All those tears..._she thought as the sword came into contact with her shoulder, flinging a ribbon of her blood into the air. _All those unshed tears... they were my power. They still are. After the night they died, I never cried for either of my parents._ Her movements took on a thoughtful grace as she regained her footing and bolded around the following attack. _I couldn't cry for them. I tried and tried, but I just couldn't. It didn't seem worth crying over something I had lost, but around him… _ A drop of water seemed to fall from somewhere in her consciousness, glinting on its way towards the ocean of her consciousness. _Around him, I had to cry for myself, for what I had lost in dying, and for what they had vainly given their lives for. It just seemed so natural, even if I didn't really know him at all._

Haru felt pain shoot up her arm when Takumi's sword fell against her own, jarring her partly away from the musings rushing through her mind. _All those tears... they've borne me nowhere, but the tears I shed carried me to a place I feel like I can always go to. That's why… that's why… _Determinedly, she clenched her jaw and shoved Takumi's blade away, darting aside as the katana raced after her again. It seemed like an eternity had passed before she reappeared, her foot falling almost deafeningly against the ground as she dropped decisively into a crouch. She felt the eyes on her, those arrogant, clear blue eyes, as suddenly blood erupted from the wounds she carved into his flesh. Resistance against ensuing cry of agony was relatively successful, especially since the pain did nothing to slow him down. Turning back towards him slowly and deliberately, Haru's eyes blazed as her sword struck his own again. Blood rushed over one of his eyes, providing a stark and almost admirable contrast. "You do realize," she said with frightening calmness, "that I could have easily killed you just now."

"Just what the hell are you?" he demanded, trying to appear unwavering. It was too late, though; Haru had already caught the lingering uncertainty in his gaze, and her notice of it was almost tangible.

"I am precisely what you so astutely surmised preceding our fight, Fujiwara-san."

"The joke's growing old," he retorted. "So fess up and tell the truth!" His hand shot out and wrapped around the wrist that held her sword, preventing her from withdrawing as his blade drew back and, like a lethal stinger, moved forward to impale her. One could almost memorize his clueless and bewildered expression when Haru wrapped her hand tightly around the blade, tightly enough to sever the skin, and launch herself off the ground. She threw every ounce of force into her other foot and thrust it directly into his stomach, wincing as the blade slid through her hands but relishing her freedom. Placing her injured palm on the ground, she pushed against it the same way she had pushed against Takumi. As Haru left the floor again, she turned her body to face her bewildered opponent, who watched her fly through the air with the most loathsome admiration she had ever experienced.

When her feet touched the ground again, they immediately rushed at each other, meeting in the middle with the deafening clamor of swords. The blades moved so fast that one could hardly follow them from the movements of their wielders. Haru's footfall seemed to strike up a rhythm as she countered Takumi's blow and delivered three or four of her own. At some point in the fight, Haru's blade found the guard of Takumi's own, and wrenched the sword out of his grip with startling ferocity. Turning her own around so the hilt faced him, she shoved it against his solar plexus with the same amount of force while simultaneously, knocking his feet out from under him. He managed to catch Haru's other ankle as it moved to sweep across his jaw and finish things; at some point, he also regained his footing.

Triumph glistened in his eyes, but only for a moment as Haru took her other foot off the ground and put her weight on her hands. Those violet eyes shimmered dangerously into his own as the very foot that had moments before kept her standing now pushed with startling force against his chin with a force great enough to throw him off the ground. She repositioned her weight so it rested on her empty hand, and pushing off the floor as she had done, she thrust it out with decisiveness. In one instant, she transcended some inner void, visible by the flicker of gold light permeating her gaze, and while she lingered for a moment off the ground, she uttered the deciding words of the match. "Bakudou no rokujyuuichi... Rikujoukourou."

Whether it was the fact that Takumi, before he even struck the ground, realized he was paralyzed by the six staves of binding light, or the fact that her kidou worked even without a summoning did him in was unknown. The only clear thing was that, as he hit the ground, he was certainly not rising again, not until the binding art wore off. Haru's feet struck the ground, and she faltered with as much grace as she used in attacking. She barely perceived the flag falling to signal her victory; she could already see the shameful, burning defeat in Takumi's eyes. She sheathed her sword decisively, hesitating before pushing the blade entirely back into its prison as she allowed the triumphant smile to steal over her face.

It didn't take much longer for the kidou to wear off, and once he was able to gather his wits, Takumi rose to his feet, keeping his untrusting eyes on Haru the entire time. The smile wasn't a gloating one by any means; more or less, it was merely one well-deserved display of triumph. Ishida looked as if he was about to pass out from sheer relief, drawing a slight laugh from her lips as she pushed her hair out of her face. Something held her gaze for a little longer than she intended, but she eventually turned to Takumi and bowed her head. "It was an honor fighting you, Fujiwara Takumi-san." She walked calmly past him, his steely eyes fixed on the very spot where she once stood. They remained stationary as she passed him, sword still in hand, and returned to the group of Shimori's students.

"Well done! Well done! If only he would let me keep you!" Shimori cheered clapping his hands ecstatically together.

"I don't know what's more unbelievable," Tomo stated, slinging a congratulatory arm around Haru's shoulders. "The fact that Takumi lost, or the fact that a mere rookie beat him. That look on his face was priceless! You've got to teach me now to do that, Shinjin-san."

"Really, it was nothing," she replied, escaping Tomo's grip and rubbing her injured shoulder, but no sooner had she done so did she find herself encircled again.

"Nice work, Shinjin-san!"

"It was brilliantly done, Haru-san."

"And who would've thought you had all that hair, eh? It's a mystery to me."

"Toshio-san, please…" she murmured, squirming out of his grip as well, her head light from the thrill of victory. "I suppose no one has anything to tie this mess back with, do they?" She bowed her thanks to Hajime, who produced from the folds of his uniform a roll of bandage, which Haru took a small piece of. Once she had worked it sufficiently into her hair, it dawned upon her just how lightheaded she really was. Carried by a cocktail of triumph and elation, Haru turned on her heel, relishing the feel of the world spinning beneath her feet. _Such moments should be bottled and kept for rainy days. _The thought of bottling memories drew another, more gentle laugh from her, interrupted by a wince of pain and a whirl of her head. "Shimori-san, they'll let me leave now, right?"

"If that is your desire, but I think Ukitake-taichou may want a word with you." All plans of escaping fled as the captain approached, examining her with stern yet friendly eyes. Immediately, Haru straightened her shoulders and placed her heels together, bowing slightly as he approached with Rukia following slowly behind him, a congratulatory smile lighting her face.

"Well, that certainly was a surprise. A newcomer to the upper class defeating one of its veterans… you must tell me who taught you such a unique and graceful style." Haru's eyes filled with a touch of anxiety, and she rose a thoughtful hand to her lips, trying to remember exactly what words her sensei had used in addressing the matter of dropping his name.

"Only do it if it'll make me look good, all right?" And then he laughed that crazy amused laugh, resting a hand instinctively on top of his hat as the sword fell against it. Back then, Haru would have questioned when such information would have to be produced. Of course, that was before being hit by a car and taken in by the captain of the sixth division. Ukitake waited patiently while the thought played in her eyes and as she examined the waiting circle of students around her.

"I could tell you, but I know you wouldn't believe me."

"Nonsense! We'd believe you, right Hajime?" He looked a little frazzled as Tomo's friendly arm looped around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he said with a grin, "but I'm too liberal with my trust, so I'm not the best person to ask."

"You asshole… I'm asking you to back me up here."

"Iie," was his obstinate reply, which Tomo didn't seem to take very lightly. "I'll back up whoever I damn well please…"

"Urahara Kisuke." That name, that long-buried name from a time long past cut through opposition and startled the small circle around her into utter silence. Haru's eyes fixed on some empty distance, almost as if she expected him to walk in the room at that precise moment, but she knew it was impossible. She smiled as some memory or other worked its way into her gaze and paralyzed any question of truth that may have erupted as a result of her outrageous and extraordinary claim. "I know it sounds farfetched and unbelievable, but I have known, I have always known, that if there is only one man I can trust with my life, it is Urahara-sensei. Perhaps that is why my training was entrusted to him, or perhaps it was because otousan hated to see wasted potential. Either way, I dealt with him for six years. Then, he set me free. So…" There was a trace of sadness in her smile as she returned from her mental journey. "Ukitake-taichou, if you will pardon me. My host is a very impatient man, even if he seldom shows it, and he does rather hate it when I keep him waiting."

She bowed her head and turned away, wavering slightly at some unseen pain before regaining her footing. Then, just as suddenly as she began, she stopped. "One more thing. Hajime-san, you seem to know Takumi-san rather well… I don't suppose you could tell me where I can find him?"

"On the roof, I think."

"Very well… I shall take my leave now. Sayonara." Haru bowed her head in thanks and left the crowded atmosphere behind, raising a hand to her head as she relished the sweet, sweet sound of the door closing her off from the eyes of so many people. She inwardly groaned as her stomach growled, having eaten nothing but breakfast, and her head whirled again as the full force of her exhaustion attempted to drag her down. "You're so cruel…" she murmured, more to herself than anyone else as she walked slowly down the hallway and in the direction of Shimori's office, where her original uniform waited patiently for her. "When I get back to the estate, I'm eating dinner, taking a hot bath, and sleeping for three days, and if anyone even mentions evaluations or fighting, I'll crack their damn skull wide open."

It was with a weary yet refined amble that Haru made it back, collapsing as soon as the door was shut behind her and clutching the wound in her shoulder, which, like all her other wounds, no longer expelled blood. Fortunately, none of them were deep enough to require dressing despite that particular one appearing so at first glance. She made sure the cluttered room was sealed off from any outside sources before untying her hakama and letting it fall to the floor. The image of the helpless Takumi conjured itself up in her mind as she went about arranging her garments. _Why do I pity him? He insulted Byakuya-sama, and he practically trampled my pride into the dirt. He would have had my back started acting up again. _Even as she thought it, a searing pain rushed through her flesh. Haru fought to restrain the cry threatening to tear past her lips into the silent room. The only thing keeping her from doing so was the footsteps just outside the door. They stopped once they reached it, and having to go no further, their source put his back against the barrier closing the room off from the hall.

"Must you be so reckless, Tokazawa-san?"

"Ishi-nii, I…" She closed her fist with a sigh and set herself about arranging the black haori, having finished everything else.

"You could have killed him, using a move like that in the middle of a mere evaluation…"

"I know." Haru sighed heavily as she began the troublesome task of gathering the loose ends of her hair and binding them up in the only restraint known to mankind that kept them manageable. "You would have almost killed him, too, if he attacked your pillar of strength."

"Then you lost control."

"Iie… I was still very aware of what I was doing, and I could have stopped it had I so desired. I was just a little frazzled after he cut me, that's all."

"If you say so," he replied hopelessly. Having finished her struggle with her hair, Haru folded the student uniform and moved to lay it in the corner where her own uniform had spent the day. She paused for a moment, wrapping her hands around the object that she somehow left behind.

"Byakuya-sama…" she murmured, raising her glasses to the fading sunlight. A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she thrust the door open so fast that Ishida fell through it, nearly on top of the wide-eyed girl standing above him. "Ishi-nii, was he here? Tell me he wasn't here…" Bewildered, Ishida sat up and adjusted his own glasses before casting his eyes at Haru. "I'm begging you, Ishi-nii… please say he wasn't…" But she already knew the answer to the question. She wouldn't have thought of him in the middle of the fight if she hadn't felt him close by. A moment of the fight flashed in her mind, a brief glimpse of her observers she had not been able to process since she was in the midst of dodging Takumi's sword. There was a shadow in the door, watching her every movement as if she possessed some hypnotic power, the red-headed vice captain standing at his side. "Oh, gods," she groaned, sinking against the door's frame.

"Haru-sama, nandesuka?"

"There… is something I need to take care of before returning. Do you think you could tell him that?"

"What sort of something?"

"A shinigami sort of something," she responded, bolting immediately towards the window as she felt the familiar reiatsu drawing near. "Onegai, Ishi-nii… just do as I ask." The puzzled quincy opened his mouth to demand an answer, but prior to his gathering any sort of courage, Haru's shadow disappeared through the open window and flashed out of sight. Ishida dusted himself off as he rose, wrapping a hand around the door behind him and pulling it shut while his insides questioned her exact reason for running off.

"Fine, fine," he murmured. "I'll do as you ask, but only so you keep smiling." With determination, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of the nose and shifted his eyes to see the regal shinigami rounding the corner, who seemed to immediately notice the knowledge flickering across Ishida's face. "If you're looking for Tokazawa-san, she just left. She said she had something to do."

"Souka," Byakuya replied in his usual monotone. The air was so thick with tension that neither man spoke nor stirred for a moment. Instead of lingering in the quincy's presence, the shinigami captain continued on his path.

"Matte, Byakuya-san." For some reason, he actually stopped moving, though the reason seemed beyond either Ishida or himself. "As her older brother, I must ask you why you insist on keeping Tokazawa-san so close to you."

"You are not her brother by blood, quincy."

"Perhaps not, but I could say the same about you and your sister if I'm not mistaken." Byakuya mentally conceded the point, giving no other sign of being willing to listen other than casting one midnight blue eye over his shoulder.

"It is an order, nothing more."

"So, that's it." It seemed to make sense to the quincy, and despite the golden opportunity Byakuya had to wring the answer from Haru's purported brother, he maintained his composure right down to the very manner in which his scarf swayed as he turned away again. "One more thing," Ishida added as he turned in the opposite direction. "She may not really be my sister, but she thinks of me as her brother. As such, I am obligated to protect her in any way I can, which is why I caution you…" He paused to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, concealing the threatening glint that stole across his typically placid gaze. "If you even so much as think about laying a hand on her, I'll kill you." Under normal circumstances, Byakuya would have at the very least countered the threat, namely by way of senbonzakura. However, it was not a normal circumstance, Haru was far from being considered a normal girl, and the quincy _was_ acting on behalf of his sister. He overlooked the threat as unworthy of being countered just in time to hear Ishida's footsteps die away and felt that, in some bizarre way, they had come to an understanding.

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Whew... another long chapter... please don't hate me. I'll bet it was worth it, though, to see Takumi get his $$ kicked. XD And now for your Japanese lesson (if it seems like I'm in a hurry, I am... dinner is almost done, and I don't want to get interrupted...)

Nande : Why

Daijobu desu ka : Are you all right

Iie : No

Kuso : Sht in Japanese... W00T for foreign swears!

Nani : What

Chotto matte : wait a minute

Hai : Yes

Shinjin : Rookie (poor Haru never gets a break, does she? XD)

Otousan : Father

Nandesuka : What is it

Onegai : Please

Souka : I see

I'm well aware that I have a very limited Japanese vocabulary... but things sound so much cooler in Japanese half the time, I can't resist using what little I know. ' At any rate, I hope you enjoyed it... despite its length. Hopefully I hit all the Japanese words... head too sore to care that they're probably out of order. Until next chapter, much peace to all, and if a bed happens to attack you, at least try to dodge it!


	13. Chapter 13: Trust

A/N: First, may I begin this author note by saying... this chapter was a complete and total pain in the rear to write. I just kept writing it, throwing part of it away, writing more, throwing part of it away... until finally, this fluff-o-rama came out. Good GOD... I probably spent more time thinking about this chapter than any other chapter I've written so far, if any of you can believe that. It was a royal pain... I'm glad it's over, and I apologize if it is substandard. It just gave me a really rough time, and it is to the point now that I say, "Screw the rules! I have (no) money!" (not my line; it's from Yu-Gi-Oh! the abridged series, which is the only way I will stomach Yu-Gi-Oh! at all simply because it bashes the show so bad... XD Sorry to any fans I have offended. Bleach is better by leaps and bounds... and the best part is, no children's card games!).

Second, you all owe me for this... you all owe me lots and lots. Not only am I completely and utterly exhausted from my sleeping adventures last night (the friend who's house I fled to clings in her sleep. For some reason, I was the object of her attention last night... all night... I feel so violated... ) but I am procrastinating even though I totally shouldn't be. I have a take-home exam for Ethics that is SCREAMING to be finished since I am going to be gone tomorrow (and I was gone Saturday on account of an emo-redneck-music-on-subwoofer induced migraine and a mad urge to get away from my parents for a day), but instead, I placed my fans ahead of my school work (does that make me pitiful or what?) and finished this excruciating, pitiful excuse for a chapter. I know it sucks... please abstain from reminding me, and I will consider your debt paid. Otherwise, please leave your soul at the door. '

Third, I would like to thank all my readers and reviewers. I am bordering on 70 reviews and 3,000 hits, and never did I once think that this fanfiction would attract such a vast and unfathomable amount of attention (I'll bet everyone is laughing at me right now because it is probably a pathetically low amount, but meh... it makes me happy so there. XP). I love you all; without you, my ego would be dead and buried. Thank you for keeping it alive with your wonderful reviews, and I hope you continue to do so in the future.

So, here it is. Hope the somewhat comical opening rant makes up for this. I still don't own Bleach... the guy with the copyright stick of doom is going to start smiting me if I don't say that...

Edit: 3,000th hit attained! basks in bliss of having 3,025 hits It probably happened while I was playing Underpaid Pizza Construction Engineer. Thanks again to all for your feedback and support, and of course for reading! 3

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_Chapter 13: Trust_

It was instinct that drove her away from her host… that, and an undeniable desire to attain some form of revenge for putting her through the strenuous rigors of walking around with her hair hanging loose and her violet eyes shining brilliantly without their usual barrier. Suddenly, she realized that in her moment of inattention, she had let Ishida call her Haru-sama again. _If he makes it a habit, it could become troublesome for me. _Such thoughts fled from her mind and were left behind on the darkening air as she bolted through the shadows towards the reiatsu she sought.

For some reason, Haru was not pleased at letting things end the way they had. Fujiwara Takumi, for all his rotten qualities, biting insults, lack of respect, and ruthless manner of fighting, had to possess at least _one_redeeming quality, and now that she was hiding comfortably behind her glasses, Haru was bound and determined to find out exactly what that redeeming quality was. He was close by; that much she could tell. With a single bound, she landed silently on the roof where he sat, his silhouette outlined by the sinking sun, his back to his visitor, his air a mixture of defeat and indifference. "Some fight," she stated, drawing his gaze only for a moment. Takumi clearly didn't recognize her; otherwise, he was liable to initiate a rematch then and there. "You were brilliant today."

"I don't need your pity."

"Since when does pity warrant a compliment?" Haru inquired, taking a few steps closer and tucking her knees beneath her. "Take it for what it is. I promise you won't be disappointed." Her eyes wandered to the crimson smear in the west. The golden rim of the sun sank just below the horizon, but its remnants painted the sky with fiery pigments, tinting the clouds an inviting bluish purple. Overhead, the stars were beginning to permeate the indigo shield, giving birth to the celestial pleasantry that was night. "Is this a habit of yours, Fujiwara-san? Sulking on the roof just because you lost one measly little fight…"

"Who said anything about sulking?" he retorted. "I just come up here to clear my head and watch the sun set when I get tired of dealing with people." The wound inflicted upon his pride was clear in his voice; for some reason, it brought a sympathetic smile to Haru's face. She could hear the hint in his words to take a hike, but having become quite comfortable with his presence all of a sudden, she simply rested her sword at her side and folded her hands in her lap. "What a waste of a victory."

"I beg your pardon?"

"That girl didn't deserve to win. The only reason she did is because I let her words get the best of me."

"If you insist…"

"I'm serious!" he shouted, turning to her with surprising rapidity. Startled, Haru immediately cast her eyes at the ground, her smile lingering as they flickered silver beneath her glasses. "She's just so frustrating… always using ordinary words in a way that transcends their everyday depth. It's irritating." An amused laugh permeated the silence that was supposed to follow, drawing Takumi to fully face his unwanted visitor. "What the hell is so funny?"

"Nothing at all. It was just a very eloquent way to put things, I suppose." Haru quickly regained her composure, her quick silvery eyes studying him for a moment. "Let me ask you something."

"Fine," Takumi retorted with a scoff.

"Did you fight her with everything you had?"

"Of course I did!"

"Then you attained victory in your own way."

"How the hell do you figure that?" he demanded, gritting his teeth in irritation at the nonchalant manner of her response. A smile slowly overcame her features. Her head tipped slightly as she debated with herself for a moment. Then, with an unsettling decisiveness, she adjusted her glasses and returned her hands to her lap.

"If her words were what frustrated you, it surprises me that you have already forgotten them."

"Who cares?"

"Did you ever think perhaps they are worth remembering?" At this, the shinigami stood, turning to face the fading light fully, relishing its disappearance as it faded into darkness. "From what you have told me, she uses her words very deliberately. She would not have remembered them had they been entirely insignificant. They must have a great deal of meaning for her… perhaps she merely wanted to share that meaning with you."

"You're reading too deeply into things. All she wanted to do was piss me off and keep me from stepping on her pride. Besides, I think she's got a screw loose." Haru briefly noted a sudden change in the breeze, but deeming her words more important than the approaching reiatsu, she remained where she was, her sword hanging docilely between her hands. "She told me Kuchiki Byakuya recommended her. We both know that's ludicrous. He holds his reputation so dear; I highly doubt he would put it on the line just so some girl can get evaluated. What's more, when I joked that she was staying in the main house, she implied my correctness."

"So?"

"So it pisses me off when people lie!"

"She wasn't lying." The voice was different somehow: stoic, masculine, and anything but joking. Bewildered, Takumi threw his clear blue eyes over his shoulder to see a shadow standing directly behind the thoughtful shinigami, whose eyes sudden looked far more violet than they had before now that they no longer hid behind the glasses.

"Byakuya-sama… my glasses…"

"Besides," he added thoughtfully, "she is a terrible liar."

"You're so cruel," she whined, making a reach for them that Byakuya easily evaded. She saw them disappear into the folds of his haori, and at that point, she came to the realization that threats were her only weapon. "Come on, I'm serious… don't make me crack your skull open in front of a mere student."

"As if you could. You barely have enough energy to stand up, let alone face me in battle." Haru's eyes flickered furiously as he casually turned, his scarf waving to her an indicator that he would not wait. With a sigh to relieve her anger, she turned the familiar smile back to Takumi, who, at the moment, wavered between fury and amazement.

"What a troublesome man," she murmured, pausing to examine the rather bewildered student. "I hope you will forgive me for leaving on such short notice. At any rate, I have affirmed what I desired and wish you the very best. It was my pleasure, Fujiwara-san." The only other notion Haru gave of his presence was a smile and a bow. Shortly after they had been delivered, she scurried after her host with light yet weary steps. They descended from the roof, Haru wavering slightly as her feet struck the ground and the familiar exhaustion sunk in, Byakuya retaining his stoic finesse as he continued walking without taking note of her current condition. "Byakuya-sama… may I please…"

"Iie," he interrupted, guessing her desire at once. "I told you, I hate it when you hide those eyes from me. I will not have you doing so in my presence, not anymore."

"Did you ever once think there is a reason I hide them?" Her voice was pleading and awkward, and when Byakuya turned back to her, she couldn't help but shudder; they were hazy with thought, and in the dying light, they almost looked black. What kept them from appearing such was the obsidian locks of hair, kept orderly by the kenseikan. "I don't much like people paying attention to them."

"They are stunning."

"They're… odd," she stated, working her sword between her hands and trying hard not to blush at his compliment. He seemed to accept her opinion as a valid one in the silence that followed, but never once did Byakuya give any indicator of relinquishing his own. He turned away decisively and continued on his way, knowing that the girl would inevitably pursue him. "Byakuya-sama, you aren't… angry with me, are you?"

"For what?"

"I'm not sure… is there even any reason for you to be angry with me?"

"Your avoidance of me," Byakuya responded wistfully, casting a single eye over his shoulder to examine her reaction.

"Oh, that," she replied with a smile. "I suppose it does nothing to help my case that you found me on the roof chatting with the opponent I barely managed to defeat today. Nonetheless, I can assure you I only wanted closure. You know how I dread leaving things unfinished." For once, Haru was paying enough attention to avoid colliding with her host when he suddenly became stationary. The intensity in his eyes was enough to make her wish she hadn't spoken so frankly. She grappled with her apologies and justifications for a moment before, overwhelmed by anxiety and anguish, she bowed her head.

"Do you have nothing to say?"

"I… am unsure of what you want me to say." He allowed an exasperated sigh to escape him, shaking his head gently and allowing the moon's pale light to play across his hair. His thoughtful eyes fell shut, lingering behind his dark lashes for a momentary eon or so before reappearing to find Haru's own locked intently on him. She looked startled at their intensity but withheld her judgment entirely.

"There is talk circulating the academy of a student who surpasses even my skill at this point in training."

"Hai… I heard." The last thing she respected as a result of her casual response was to have her stoic, composed host release the slightest burst of reiatsu. "I… suspect Fujiwara Takumi is a very skilled student." In an instant, he was but a hair's breadth away, his hands pressed firmly against her cheeks to keep her violet eyes locked on his own. Haru felt a quiver work its way through her, not one of fear but of desire. For a moment, her anticipation got the better of her and her eyes began to sink shut, but the only thing she received from his lips were words spoken in a gentle tone.

"That boy?" Byakuya inquired, leaning so close she could feel his breath. "He is out of his league if he wishes to surpass me. You are the student those words referred to." Whatever unseen haze kept her captivated vanished in that moment; she hastily pulled away, leaving Byakuya flustered as she came simultaneously to the borders of hilarity and humility. A moment passed, and she assumed the latter, bowing her head as low as her aching muscles would allow.

"Gomenasai, Byakuya-sama… it was not my intention, I can assure you… I only meant to make sure Fujiwara Takumi did not…" Realizing at once she had said too much, Haru forced her mouth shut before her words could infuriate him any more than they already had. A wild desire rushed through her, a desire to flee to some far corner and conceal herself in night's shadow; it didn't matter where, as long as it was away from him. After all, there was no shame in flight when all other actions were exhausted. She silently wished herself out of existence, or better yet, back in the sorry excuse for existence she was forced to leave behind in the human world. Anything was better than having those cold midnight orbs bear down upon her.

"Nande?" he asked.

"I…" She paused for a moment, grappling with her words again. "I don't know… I just don't know…" Her back was starting to ache from being hunched over for so long, but Haru made no move until her host approached her, and with the same hidden longing fluttering through his gaze, he held out his hand. Startled, she raised her gaze to Byakuya's, which, despite still having that stoic quality to it, was far more inviting than she could have imagined it to be.

"We are alone," he reassured her, spotting the girl's subtle hesitation almost immediately. "I asked Rukia and the others to return home, knowing how late I would probably be kept on business."

"Business?"

"There is somewhere I wish to discuss with you, and as I can foresee several possible intrusions if we return immediately to my estate, I suspect it may be better if we forego doing so and opt instead for a walk, but only if you are up to it."

"Where?" she asked, breaking the silence that had followed.

"One does not need a destination to walk, Haru-kun." His fingers twitched slightly as her eyes bolted across them. Then, no less unsure than she had been, Haru gently laid her hand in his, relishing the sensation of his fingers softly forcing hers apart and intertwining with them. "You fight beautifully," he murmured.

"You think so?" Haru tried vainly not to sound too pleased with herself.

"Indeed," Byakuya replied, "but I have seen you fight better. The question I have for you now is, why did you insist on holding back?"

"I can assure you, I did no such thing."

"Three days ago, you nearly bested me…"

"So now I nearly bested you?" she interrupted, her violet eye shimmering wildly as he gently coaxed her forward with his own steps.

"What other explanation could I possibly surmise for your near defeat at the hands of a mere student?"

"I was fighting indoors with people watching me. The audience affects my performance, and the environment places strict limitations on what methods I can and cannot employ."

"It pleases me that you took those things into account, but the barrier was erected for precisely that reason."

"I had no desire to kill him, Byakuya-sama."

"You knew several high-ranking members of the fourth division were present." Haru failed to come up with a laudable response to his latest assertion and settled for falling silent. Silence, golden silence… Byakuya's palm was warm against her own, and for a moment, she felt as if she needed nothing more. Her stomach gave a vicious snarl that interrupted her admiration of Seireitei at night. On second thought, a substantial meal would have been nice. "You have not eaten today, have you?"

"A little… at breakfast. Shimori-san fed us before the examination began."

"That will not do." Haru lowered her eyes in shame, watching her sandaled foot as it fell in a print the exact size as her own. Come to think of it, as she raised her eyes and examined her surroundings, she quickly came to the realization that they were not at all foreign to her. They were standing before the sixth division office, Byakuya gazing back at her as the epiphany fell upon her with startling force.

"You can't honestly tell me… you hauled me all the way here just to eat ramen…"

"You catch on quickly." From somewhere in the folds of his haori, he produced a trace of his financial wealth. "If you stay here, I shall retrieve it." He moved to leave only to be restrained by Haru's grip on his sleeve. She pulled the money out of his hand with ease, scurrying in front of him only to turn back before rounding the corner.

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, won't people talk if they knew the renowned Kuchiki Byakuya found some enjoyment in eating the poor man's staple?" It was a valid point; he silently acknowledged that, but whenever he thought of Haru meandering off by herself, especially while the sun was at rest, an unfamiliar feeling crept over him, an apprehension that far transcended that he would normally have regarding a woman, or anyone else for that matter. He could not content himself by walking into the familiar, empty office, not even when the door behind him was pushed shut and the light flicked on. He seated himself on the bare wooden floor, running his eyes over the four walls, eyeing the desk that would likely give birth to endless paperwork before morning. Left alone with only his thoughts to keep him company in the stark stillness and emptiness of his office, a myriad of undesirable possibilities worked their way into his mind. Ignoring them was useless, and dwelling on them only augmented his concern.

What ended his perpetual self-torment was the gentle rapping of something warm against his forehead. Startled, he glanced up to see the very girl he was preoccupied with standing behind him, holding level with his eyes a steaming cup of tea. "Gomenasai… I knocked twice, and when I came in, you looked as if you were in deep thought about something. I did not want to disturb you, but I know from experience that ramen is best eaten when it is hot." As he looked up at her, his typically stoic midnight eyes attained a somewhat puzzled quality. Gingerly, he removed the tea from her hands and followed her with his gaze as she seated herself before him, handing him his evening meal and a disposable pair of chopsticks. Once they uttered the opening thanks, Haru wasted no time in digging in.

"Remember… the first time we did this?" Byakuya peered reflectively into his cup. "You were in lower spirits then. I am pleased to see they have improved."

"If they have improved, it is your doing," she replied after swallowing. Byakuya quirked a brow; her comment initiated a usual bout of his silent observation. Haru's eyes never once meandered away from his own, not even as they left her face.

"I think you give me too much credit."

"If you are in doubt, ask Ishi-nii. I was never this happy while I was alive." She took another bite of ramen, managing such a simple task as slurping it with an inexplicable and noble grace, during which Byakuya became transfixed with her form once more. "Nandesuka?"

"It's nothing," he responded hastily, returning what attention he could spare to his meal. Haru set her ramen aside with a sigh.

"It seems I am not the only terrible liar in this room."

"Indeed," he responded, "but at least I was not entirely lying. I know there is something more to your somewhat sub par performance today." Her reaction was almost too much to take; a hint of terror shone silver in her eyes before she threw them violently to the floor. "So, I am correct in my hypothesis." With a defeated sigh, she glanced to him again, this time shyly. "Would you mind telling me precisely what it is?" Hearing the order in his tone and seeing it flicker intensely in his gaze, she dropped her head in a bow.

"The truth is… I wasn't fighting my hardest today because…" Haru threw her gaze to the floor again to put off the inevitable, but hesitation was only a device that worked temporarily. The remainder of her answer quickly became displaced by an agonizing pang of pain racing through her back. She paused in mid-breath to keep from gasping as she pulled one hand tight around her haori and used the other to keep herself from falling forward. Nearly every trace of color left her face as her mind screamed in agony, but it returned swiftly when she suddenly found her face pressed against the shoulder of her host. In such a close proximity, she could feel his frustration and… something almost melancholy. Wavering between complete loss of control and even more complete composure, Haru forced herself away only to have his palm press itself against her forehead. If it was possible for the renowned Kuchiki heir to look any more grave than he typically did, then the feat was achieved in that moment as his hand fell away with what appeared to be an underlying trace of guilt.

"This is my doing, is it not?" Suddenly, the violet eyes that had until that point been locked on the floor flashed into his own, dancing with the faint traces of physical pain mingled with a newly-born confusion. "Rukia briefly mentioned you had not been feeling well when she was speaking with Ukitake earlier. I happened to overhear and could not help but wonder whether it was my doing."

"Iie," she replied, collapsing onto his shoulder again and relishing the warmth she found there. "It… is just a reminder."

"A reminder?" Byakuya echoed, his tone incredulous and at the same time dissatisfied by the vague answer.

"Of the unseen truth. So…" Despite her mild discomfort, Haru lifted her head and smiled warmly. "You see, it really has nothing to do with you." A second wave of pain built in her expression until, at last, she sunk against him again, clutching the folds of his captain's haori so tightly that the color left her knuckles. The trembling mass was flush against him, but the stoic Kuchiki restrained himself, both for decency's sake and for the sake of his dignity.

"Why did you accept my request, then, if you were… if you were suffering so?" Yet even as she trembled, Haru still managed to retain some trace of her eloquence.

"I would… I would have thought a man of your… mental faculties… was wise enough to deduce that."

"I am still learning your thought processes, Haru-kun…"

"Knowing how my mind works will do you no good; it is simple reason." The grip on his haori tightened, and the underlying composure to her gasps was slowly dissipating. Sensing that the man she leaned against was entirely clueless, Haru glanced up to his face again, wearing that same agonized smile. "Perhaps… I just feel like… I owed you something."

"For what, pray tell?" he inquired.

"For giving me life again." A violent shudder rushed through her as Haru buried her head in his shoulder, this time giving a slight verbal indicator of her physical pain. "Forgive me… for being so troublesome to you, Byakuya-sama." He caught himself as his arms gave an involuntary twitch. "Please bear with it for just another moment… it will subside soon, I think." That did him in. A fresh gasp worked its way out of Haru's lungs as she found herself crushed against the elder shinigami. She squirmed in his grip for a moment, mainly due to a momentary bout of shock, before relinquishing any efforts to escape. Once she succumbed to his embrace, Haru allowed a sigh to escape her as one hand raced up her spine towards the back of her neck. After enduring the fiery pain for so long, the gentle sensation was anything but unpleasant.

"To hell with what that pesky quincy says," Byakuya said suddenly, more to himself than to her. "I will do as I please so long as you have no objections."

"Did Ishi-nii say something to you?"

"Nothing worth repeating."

"If he threatened you, I ask that you don't take it personally. Ishi-nii says that to every man who is audacious enough to lay eyes on me, and not in a manner that goes beyond platonic."

"I am unsure of what you mean."

"He is just being the protective older brother, thinking that I am completely incapable of defending myself and taking the liberty of making sure no one lays a hand on his little sister."

"Then…" Byakuya hesitated for a moment, musing over the precise words he wished to implement before finishing his sentence. "It does not bother you?"

"This?"

"The quincy's nature."

"Of course not," she responded with a weak laugh. "You would do the same for Rukia-san if I am not mistaken."

"A valid point."

"I'm chock full of them." Her smile faded, and a doleful sort of look came into her violet eyes. For a moment, they simply stared into space, fixated on some distant horror or another she was not yet ready to reveal. Then, she fixed them on that curious midnight gaze of her host. "Byakuya-sama, did you… did you just…"

"You heard nothing." Amusement crept over her expression, manifesting itself in a mischievous grin.

"Expletives will taint your noble Kuchiki tongue."

"You are one to talk."

"But you forget, Byakuya-sama, that I am no noble, so I can say whatever I damn well please." A warning hand crept across her spine, drawing the usual response of startled discomfort from the typically cheerful girl and sending her flying against him with unusual vigor.

"I am beginning to have my doubts," he responded, his tone low.

"You know I am a terrible liar," Haru said in her defense, clutching his kimono as his fingers continued their journey along her spine at an unbearably slow pace. "Bya—Byakuya-sama, I must… ask that you cease… it still hurts…"

"But it hurts less than it did, does it not?" Weakly, Haru nodded her head in affirmation. "Then I give you my word that I will be gentle."

"Baka…" she muttered, her eyes nearly falling shut as a mixture of bliss and discomfort flashed through them. "You suck at listening."

"I will grant you it is not one of my strong points when I deem the subject being spoken of as irrelevant." Haru squirmed as they altered their direction, swerving in orderly chaos about her spine before wandering to the left. "Perhaps if you told me more about your zanpakutoh…"

"What brought that on all of a sudden?"

"It is a simple matter of curiosity." Haru's eyes fell shut for a moment, awakening the dormant and forgotten exhaustion that had only moments before been her only plague. Despite that, she also became aware of something beneath his haori, pushing against her shoulder. It took a small amount of reasoning to realize precisely what that something was, and a trace of determination to recover the object of interest threw her fatigue back into its prison with unwarranted force.

"Your time to learn the limits of Suzaku's power will come," Haru responded, "but that time is not now."

"No?" he inquired. The question died away without response as his second hand began to traverse her back, forcing a gasp from Haru's lungs as she buried her face deep into his shoulder. His mouth found her ear, and when he spoke again, his breath fell gently against it. "I am not below using any method in my power to extract answers, insofar as those methods fall within the stipulations of the law and of common decency." Haru turned his words over in her mind to the best of her ability, but it was impossible to think rationally in light of her host's overwhelmingly close proximity. Audacity drew her fingers from inaction as they gave the scarf around his neck enough of a tug to loosen it considerably without posing any danger of tearing the fabric. Before she could rid him entirely of the garment, he caught her hand in his own, a warning racing across his eyes as her own hazy gaze wandered up to meet his own. That warning dissipated as he made a vain attempt to read the plot flickering beneath the fogs of pleasure.

"Let me ask you something, Byakuya-sama." When he made no objection, Haru allowed her eyes to fall shut and added, "It is a little embarrassing for me to be asking this, but… it has been bothering me a little the past three days." She paused, mainly for suspense's sake, to see if she had at all captured the nobleman's interest.

"Well?" he pressed. The impatience laced in his tone drew Haru's eyes fully open. At such close proximity, Byakuya could see that neither the violet nor the silver in them was more prominent at the moment; instead, the two hues were mixed together in perfect harmony so that one could not be told from the other. Seeing his admiration only fostered the smile on Haru's face to an all out beam that managed to disrupt his own ability to think.

"Did you think kissing me was wrong, Byakuya-sama?" The question, spoken with volumes of innocence far beyond Byakuya's capability to analyze, etched his internal bewilderment directly into his expression. When Haru felt the grip on her hand loosen, she clutched his haori with an air that indicated her complete and utter rejection of any potential increase of distance between them. "I should think it is wrong," she continued, her voice grounded in reason, "in so many ways. I am not as you are; I am no noble, nor can I call myself a shinigami, and compared to you, I have only existed one fraction of a second. My status as a guest in your household is bound to expire eventually. However I look at it, I can see the inevitability that we will be parted, whether by Soul Society's mores, or by destiny, or by some other unperceivable force."

"Haru-kun…" The quiet interjection did nothing to stay her remaining words.

"But when I'm with you, everything just… it just…" Haru searched vainly for a word to describe it and pleaded Byakuya with her gaze for aid. She had not entirely forgotten about her target, but it seemed irrelevant when compared with the matter at hand. The regal shinigami reestablished his grip on her hand, pressing his own firmly against it as his eyes delve into her own. _I cannot read them… for the life of me, why can I not read them? _There was some sort of haze damming back his emotions. He seemed to be arguing with himself again, tossed back and forth between two options, silently and with intense focus. She spotted her opportunity with ease and slid a tentative hand between his black haori and the white layer underneath, gauging his lack of reaction as a product of his thoughts.

When he finally did come to the realization of the searching hand, Byakuya's eyes shot straight into Haru's with a different kind of haze. He was given no time to react before the girl got audacious, and as a result nuzzled the side of his neck affectionately while she continued her search. The change in him was almost startling; his face flushed slightly, and his eyes went dark with pleasure, nearly falling shut at so simple a gesture. "Now you know how I feel," she murmured against it, "when you run your fingers along my spine." To emphasize her point, she placed her lips against the pale flesh, sighing as she groped for the object of her attention. She felt it with her fingertips, and in being so close to his heart, it had possessed nearly all of its warmth.

With the utmost care, Haru took hold of the object, but the victory was short lived, and her host could no longer restrain himself. In an instant, she was spread out on the floor, her hands falling to rest just above her head. Her shoulders were pinned by the ever composed Kuchiki, her hips rested directly between his knees, and those intense midnight eyes, now alight with something other than composure, lingered so close to her own that any attempt to breathe was stilled entirely. Haru's gaze remained a mixture of bewilderment and what was left of her pain. Then again, laying docilely on a wooden floor while Byakuya's form pressed against her own wasn't exactly helping matters.

She should have been trembling, considering her position, but Haru never once flinched. Instead, she glanced to the hands on her shoulders and noticed the quiver working its way through the nobleman's frame. His breath hitched as that same torn deliberation surfaced in his eyes, almost as if he was afraid to rise yet entirely averse to leaving things as they were. "Nande?" he whispered. Now convinced that she would make no move to escape, he gingerly brushed one unruly nutmeg tress of hair behind her ear. "You seem to have no fear of me, even now, nor have you displayed the slightest trace of resistance. Nande?"

"Why would I fear you, Byakuya-sama?" The question startled him into silence. With a smile, Haru, tilted her head to one side, shutting her eyes briefly as the weariness of her muscles worked its way into her flesh. "And why would I resist? I trust you." A flash of violet came into view, solemn and weary yet entirely content at the same time. "I can count the people I can honestly say I trust on one hand, Byakuya-sama. It means that, one day soon, I shall have to tell you everything." The solemnity became particularly intense at that point in their conversation, but before the Kuchiki could spend time further analyzing it, he just as quickly witnessed it displaced by her usual placid contentment. "And it will be painful, more painful than you ever know, for me to relive every moment of that, but I will endure it because I trust you, and because I feel that, as one of my three trusted acquaintances, you have the right to know what lies beyond what your eyes can see."

"It frightens you," Byakuya noted.

"It does, but it must be done… in due time, of course." A hint of rebellious impatience surfaced in his gaze, serving to broaden Haru's smile and put her even more at ease. It was a silent request to be patient, to wait until she was ready, and if only because of her very nature, Byakuya decided that that was precisely the best course of action. "You still have not answered my question."

Those words were all it took. Byakuya returned to his initial position, sitting with his legs tucked beneath him. He remained close to the bewildered Haru, whose eyes silently lamented the loss of his close proximity. In the ensuing silence, she peered at him intently, her violet eyes burning a small enough hole in his composure for a trace of conflicted reiatsu to wind about the air and shatter the hopeful smile on Haru's face. "I understand," she murmured dolefully, hiding her eyes with her left arm, which she slung composedly across them. "You lost yourself for a moment. That is all it was… that is all it ever will be, nothing more than a moment."

"You understand nothing," Byakuya replied, drawing the violet orbs forth once more. She looked so innocent, so bewildered, that it drew a shadow of a smile to his already fascinated expression. "Sit up, and I will give you your answer." It was with difficulty that Haru fulfilled the request, raising knee and putting her weight on her arms until she folded her legs neatly beneath her body and rested one hand on top of the other in her lap. "Close your eyes." There was no deliberation in Byakuya's tone when he uttered those words, only a firm resolution and an intention that was never meant to be inconspicuous. A hint of fire worked its way into her cheeks before she obeyed. She listened as the noble stirred, placing one hand under her chin to tilt her head up slightly. His shadow fell between her and the light, causing her lips to part slightly in anticipation. "Haru-kun…"

Her hands found the folds of his haori and tightened around them as he pressed his lips hungrily against her own. It was so much different than the first time, which had been more of an innocent, somewhat hesitant display of affection than anything, but this… reflection was impossible at the moment. The world seemed to spin faster and slower at the same time, and every existing boundary, every taboo established to keep them apart, seemed to voluntarily engage in some sort of self-destruction just so they could express themselves. The desire in the kiss seemed boundless, the passion beyond anything Haru had ever imagined, the affection ever present, yet Byakuya forced none of these things on her. She could have pulled away at a moment's notice, but she lingered as eternity staggered forward at a slower pace, just for their sakes.

But the moment had to end, as all moments do. For the sake of breathing more than anything, Haru pulled back and collapsed onto his shoulder, her head swimming with countless reflections. A pair of gentle arms encircled her breathless frame while his eyes, a dark haze of pleasure and relief, eagerly sought her own. They peered up at him, flickering with the lingering thrill of his action and the growing fatigue that threatened to drag Haru directly out of consciousness, but it was in her nature not to leave things unfinished. "I cannot fathom what it is you see in me."

"You give yourself far too little credit," he responded. "Otherwise, you would not insist on hiding what greatness you call your own in my shadow, though I must admit I am somewhat pleased to have you voluntarily walk outside of it for a day."

"Was that your plan?" A gentle scoff permeated the room before silence regained its reign. Her eyes flashed vividly into his own as a pleasant smile overwhelmed her expression. "That was rather cruel and underhanded of you."

"Sometimes, it is better to be indirect in one's strategy."

"Don't I know it?" Haru's contentment was so strong, it was nearly radiating off of her, and it probably would have been were it not for the pesky lethargy that had long since overwhelmed every potential barrier and limitation. She pushed her face against his shoulder, placing her hands upon them. "I think I might fall asleep," she whispered. He reflected on her warming silently for a moment. "Do you have any objections?"

"Iie." It was music to her ears. The last thing she remembered before slipping into the oblivion of unconsciousness was the sensation of Byakuya's lips pressing against her forehead and a gently spoken promise that he would watch over her.

* * *

There... by request... a massive crapload of (probably poorly written) fluff. Forgive me for subjecting you to such a substandard piece of writing... don't tell me it's all in my head. It probably is... sleep deprivation psychosis must be setting in, which means I will kindly be off to bed, but not before subjecting you to one more form of torture: the ever-infamous Japanese lesson! 

Iie : No

Hai : Yes

Gomenasai : Formal Apology and whatnot

Nande : Why

Nandesuka : What is it

Baka : Stupid, moron, idiot, and such

Wow... I'm shocked... really short Japanese lesson. I probably missed some, but as you have all probably figured out by now, my Japanese vocabulary is abysmally small. Forgive me if I bashed myself without reason, or for subjecting you to this... travesty (whichever it is...)! Hopefully, I have not scared too many of you away... ' Hoping to see you next chapter! Thank you for reading and such/whatnot/etc.!


	14. Chapter 14: Farewell

A/N: Mass apologies to all my readers, reviewers, etc. It has been a VERY hectic week. To give you the 10-second version:

Monday: I realize I only have about a month to write all of my term papers, some of which require intense research.

Tuesday: Group presentation in American Literature.

Wednesday: Friend's dog died (R.I.P. Muffy... moment of silence)

Thursday: My dog had a(nother) seizure.

Friday: Exam on Hinduism, late night at work; wish I would've warn my pedometer just to see how far I ran.

Saturday: Owned Sakura on challenge mode in DDR, laughed at the English cast of Bleach, stayed up to actually lose the hour (for those of you who don't know, we stupid Americans spring our clocks ahead in order to conserve electricity and then roll them back in the fall. It is mass annoying).

Sunday: My car died but was revived with my father's efforts.

So... you can plainly tell that I am a very busy person, yet I still cram time to write this lovely fanfic into my daily schedule. To be honest, I've been itching to write a whole host of other things, none of them of course being fanfics... but I must press onward! Finish one beast before you begin another, I always say. By the way, the document containing said fanfic has officially reached 200 pages in Times New Roman 12 point font, a milestone if I do say so myself. Thank you everyone for reading and what not, and while I already know this chapter isn't my best (be thankful I took the time to edit it; otherwise, your eyes would be bleeding from all the typos), I swear to God the next one will be better. Hopefully. Maybe... ' Anyways, try your best to enjoy it, and again, to all my readers, reviewers, watchers, favoriters, etc. etc. etc., many thanks for sticking with it! Keep feeding my ego, and I will, too! XD

* * *

_Chapter 14: Farewell_

There was a wealth of reasons Haru disliked working herself into such a dire state of exhaustion as that which she had shown Byakuya the night before. For one thing, waking came slowly; often, it was either the light of day or the ache in her own agonized muscles that at last drew her away from the peaceful oblivion of sleep. On that particular morning, it was the latter that rousted the refreshed girl from her deep slumber. While lingering for a moment on the brink of sleep and consciousness, a particularly irksome and potent twinge of pain worked its way through her back. Haru felt the remainder of her muscles tense, and an aching wave of pain coursed slowly through her body. She felt her lips part in the same surreal haze, mainly for the purpose of drawing air into her lungs. As her eyes open, she swiftly shut them again, unable to handle what little white light slipped through the gap in the curtains. Once they were closed, a recollection of the second reason she hated waking up the morning after overexerting herself worked its way into what little conscious thought existed in her mind: all her senses came back just as slowly as she came to full waking, and patience was a key factor in ensuring her return to consciousness went smoothly.

Haru slung her left arm across her eyes, tilting her head to the side and allowing a long-held breath to escape through the gap in her lips. Her arm was bare; sometime during the night, she must have removed her haori, but the kimono and hakama were still neatly in place, leaving no possibility of indecency. Slowly, the realization of her host's absence poured into her mind, but there was unmistakably a presence in the room with her. She made another attempt at sight, hissing at the agonizing whirl her head gave as an incomprehensible haze of familiar objects met her eyes. "So, you're finally awake?" One final blink was all it took for the objects to separate and become distinguishable again. Mentally, she was fully rested, but her muscles were silently screaming in pain. The slightest bit of a groan worked its way out of her before words finally manifested themselves, words so weak that they managed to surprise even her.

"Keiji-san…" The servant smiled at her recognition. "What… time is it?"

"Half past nine," replied her observer contently.

"That late, hmm?" For some odd reason, it warranted a smile on Haru's part. Her gaze raced along the ceiling, the silver flickering clearly in it as she mused for a moment. "It doesn't feel that late."

"I would assume not. He carried you in late."

"Carried?" she echoed skeptically. Then, with all the brilliance of the rising sun, vague memories of the night before came rushing forth from their containment behind the dam that barred such thoughts and memories from consciousness. She sat straight up with a speed she more than regretted, paying no heed to the mass of nutmeg locks that fell into her eyes and fluttered about her shoulders. She recalled a sensation of being carried while in some state of half-sleep, her body feeling heavy and hanging limply in the arms of her host as he navigated the dark streets of Seireitei with his usual graceful and composed air. That stoic expression was on his face, but in his midnight eyes rested the dormant ashes of amusement. She remembered him saying something, likely giving an order, as he crossed the threshold of his own estate without pausing to remove his sandals, much less her own. Then, the movement ceased once her body was lowered onto the futon, her haori gently removed, and the covers tucked securely around her. All those things rushed to Haru in a blinding instant of epitome, and once the reality of those memories sank in, she buried herself under the covers to hide the burning red fire in her cheeks. _It's too much… it's too much to bear…_

But her self-induced imprisonment did not last long. The servant sputtered a rebellion that was cut short by the sudden removal of her protective barrier by a forceful hand. She whimpered at the loss of its warmth, peering up at the figure standing above her with the blanket in his hands. For some reason, his name refused to pass her lips. "Ishida-san, your force is unnecessary… Kuchiki-sama specifically instructed me to…"

"Urusai," he muttered in a tone so thick with animosity that it drew from Haru a violent tremble. Even if he was angry, he couldn't help but take note of the vulnerable look in her docile eyes and allow it to slay enough of his anger to make him reasonable. With some difficulty, he dropped the covers atop her body, curled into a ball for protection's sake, and sat down beside her. Haru emerged a few moments later, her violet eyes shimmering fretfully. "Haru-sama, I am well aware it is not my place to pry into your… private life, but I'm afraid this situation requires some… explanation on your part."

"What are you doing in Byakuya-sama's room?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same question." Haru winced at the tone of his voice, looking helplessly to Keiji for help but finding that he had already risen to his feet and began to walk slowly towards the door, mainly out of respect for their ties more than anything. Once the door closed, they were alone, and it dawned upon the girl that from every possible angle, her situation was an awkward one. There she was, laying in the middle of her host's futon with the disheveled blankets setting about her slightly sore frame while Ishida's fury displaced what peace remained from her bout of sleep.

"I do not believe Byakuya-sama would permit you to be in his quarters."

"He certainly let you in."

"Must you be so troublesome, Ishi-nii?"

"I'm the troublesome one?" he cried. Having lost the ability to articulate his meaning further, he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with a huff, throwing his furious gaze to some other part of the room. He could have his anger; he just couldn't stand directing it towards her. "Is there any particular reason you're sleeping in here?"

"How am I to know? I passed out last night. He carried me here. It is as simple as that." Haru sunk deeper into the blankets with the silent hope that Ishida's suspicions would go no further, but she knew her hope was vain; he was, after all, a quincy, and as such, it was in his nature to be thorough with things.

"Am I correct in assuming this is not the first night you have wound up in his bed?"

"When you say it like that, it sounds so wrong…" She groaned as she rolled over, more from his adulterated diction than from the dull aches moving through her muscles. Feeling Ishida's eyes on her, she shifted her own so they penetrated his. He looked a little surprised at the implicit affirmative she had given in response and was currently analyzing the rather intent girl as she raised her head from the pillow and pushed the blankets off of her. After a few minor adjustments were made to her kimono, she forced her hair behind her ear and tucked her legs beneath her, making the best attempt she could at looking dignified given the situation. "I realize this arrangement is not at all what you expected, but it really was not my idea."

"Then how did this come about?"

"It is not your business."

"As your older brother, I am making it my business," Ishida responded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose with an air of resolution.

"I'm not really sure how it came about. I was upset, and the next thing I knew, I was in his futon, too tired to complain and entirely unwilling to spend the night in solitude." Ishida quirked a brow to declare his disbelief in her story's emotional element. "Would you not be in a similar condition if you had just stood over your own bloody, broken, mangled corpse and tried to make sense of it all?"

"Fine, fine… I can understand that, but why is it you keep coming back?" The question puzzled her to the point of intense focus. A slight blush crept into her cheeks as she mused over it, one that Ishida fortunately did not take notice of.

"I wonder…" she replied, shrugging and adding a blissful smile.

"You're impossible," Ishida sighed, letting the hand on his glasses drop helplessly to his side. His eyes rose with stunning suddenness and made a cursory survey of the room. Realizing they were devoid of any trace whatsoever of Haru's own glasses, he quickly returned his questioning gaze to the girl. Haru, as if reading his gaze, gave another shrug and another smile, this one more perturbed than content. "He didn't…"

"He did. I suppose I forgot to get them back from him last night. I swear, that man is so troublesome at times, I wonder why in heaven's name I find him so fascinating." With a sigh and a shrug, Haru set about the task of straightening the disheveled futon, vaguely aware that Ishida's gaze never left her while she restored as much order as she could to the room. Then, she gave the room another cursory glance, searching for her haori. She found it and her zanpakutoh tucked neatly in a corner and moved immediately to retrieve it, but Ishida seized her wrist as she walked past.

"Haru-sama, what exactly is your relationship with Byakuya-san?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," she replied, holding back a wince as the trembling fingers tightened around her arm. His blue eyes flashed up to her own, serious and resolute, with the certainty of her false naivety racing across them. They ignited a scorching shame inside of her, and wanting to rid herself of it and his infernal gaze, she thrust her own at the floor. Still, the fire remained as bit by bit her past staggered into her thoughts. "I'm not sure…" For some reason, Haru couldn't finish, so she looked back to her brother and repeated, "I'm not sure." Ishida analyzed her for a moment before sighing heavily and releasing her wrist, expecting his nominal sister to return to her business, but she did no such thing. Instead, she added, with an almost overwhelming air of defensiveness, "What is it that you want me to say?"

"Nothing."

"Then why do you sound so angry?" Ishida dodged her gaze easily; he simply pushed his glasses up until a barrier of reflected light leapt between his flustered blue eyes and her questioning violet ones. "What would you have me do?"

"Tell him." Horrified by this comment, Haru's eyes grew wide enough to unveil the traces of silver lingering about the edges of her irises. The irritable swarm of memories returned to her, so irksome that she nearly lost herself in them and forgot her surroundings, but just when the color began to leave her face, she heard footsteps drawing near, footsteps that awakened the one trace of resolution she had not yet lost to the past. "It isn't fair not to."

"Since when did you care?"

"I am merely making a point," Ishida responded calmly. "Byakuya-san has no emotions, or if he does, he never shows them, and I have known you long enough to know that you get the same way sometimes, but at the end of all this, if you insist on continuing to hide in the shadows, the one who will wind up hurting the most is not that shinigami." A purely venomous leer was the only response she gave him for the moment. Once she turned away, her footsteps crossed the room hastily. After recovering the restraint for her hair, which was nested in a corner along with her other belongings, she tied it back with irregular haste. Her hands closed first around the haori, then around her sword, and with an utterly indifferent air, she walked towards the window that would serve as the door to freedom from what had quickly become a prison. Ishida made no reach for her as she walked past, nor did he use any method to stop her, but when she glanced back at him, he almost felt the vast confusion stirring within them.

"You say I am only hurting myself?" Haru asked, throwing the curtains back and pushing the window open. A brisk wind swept into the room, pushing the two loose strands of hair wildly about. Ishida made no move to shield his eyes from the brilliant sun, nor did his expression change; he was still kneeling with his palms resting on his knees. The only difference was that they were clenched tighter than before. "Then I will suffer quietly." With one bound, she was through the frame, pulling it soundlessly shut behind her as if she had done such a thing countless times. He couldn't fight the shudder that worked through his shoulders, nor could he fight the urge to pick himself up and dart towards the proper exit with full intentions of following her. Knowing how quickly she moved when she was angry, he knew he didn't have much time.

No sooner had he thrust the door open, however, did he find himself face to face with a rather bewildered Rukia. Ichigo was standing behind her, looking equally surprised. "Ishida, what were you doing in nii-sama's bedroom?" The question was direct enough, but the quincy could only fumble stupidly with his words until he managed to compose himself. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and cleared his throat as he mused over precisely what sort of response he should give.

"Oy, Ishida… you look a little lost," Ichigo noted.

"Maybe I am. I'm not familiar with this corridor. I came down here, thinking I sensed Tokazawa-san's reiatsu, but she has either left recently or perhaps some trace of hers remains." It was as smooth a cover up as any, and Ishida, not wanting to draw the conversation out any further lest they discover some discrepancy in his story, bolted past the two of them once he recalled his precise purpose. "Sumimasen!" he called as he disappeared around the corner, leaving a startled Rukia in a heap on the floor and a curious Ichigo pressed against the wall.

"You all right?"

"Hai," Rukia replied, picking herself up and readjusting her uniform. "What do you make of it?"

"I never know with Ishida. He's been acting odd ever since we got here. Then again, I don't believe it's any of our business." Rukia nodded her head to agree but paused midway through, raising a hand to her chin and allowing her mind to wander.

_That reiatsu..._ she thought, her eyes darkening. _Why is it so strong here?_

"Rukia!" Ichigo shouted, forcing the thought back into dormancy. He was standing at the end of the hallway and preparing to make a right turn. "You'd better hurry up or I'll leave you behind."

"Baka! You don't even know the way!" Then, save for a few more traces of reiatsu, it was as if no one had been there at all.

Haru wasn't the type of person to avoid admitting someone else was right, even when that person happened to be one cocky, demonic student hell-bent on making a name for himself. For someone with hardly one measly iota of common sense, Fujiwara Takumi had caused her to realize just how calming it was to ascend a rooftop when people became too much of a bother. She folded her arms beneath her head, relishing the sluggish ease with which thoughts drifted through her mind. Though she did acknowledge the roof of the sixth division office was not the most comfortable place to lay, it was a rather convenient place to lose herself in the vast, clear blue sky overhead. Her troubles rolled away with the clouds, all save one, which remained ever present in her now composed mind. _Why exactly am I angry with him?_

_Because you know he is right. _The truth stung viciously, especially as the reminder of it came from her zanpakutoh, which rested on the roof beside Haru in a sprawl of its own. With a sigh, she rolled onto her side and gazed at the apparently wooden weapon, propping her head up and resting her chin in her hand. _Is it really fair to keep hiding from him, especially after you admitted to trusting him?_

_I do trust him._

_I don't doubt that. I am merely saying that it would be prudent, if you are not willing to fess up, to put a little distance between yourself and that shinigami. I have no desire to see you suffer anymore than you already have, and that man… you do not wish to hurt him. _Haru turned back to the heavens, reaching one arm towards it and closing her hand around the empty air. _You are thinking about flying again._

_How can I not? _she replied, hesitantly allowing the forlorn smile to creep across her expression. _My destiny is to transcend the heavens or fall to the depths on broken wings. Living in the human world made me feel so grounded, and dying destroyed my body, the cage that kept me from flying. But ever since meeting him…_ Haru dared press the thought no further, fearing judgment even from her own zanpakutoh. Additionally, she felt a distinctive shift in the reiatsu lurking in the room just below her, almost as if the building's occupant somehow picked upon her presence despite her excessive and flawless control of her own spiritual energy. All that was left was to wait until something more happened.

_Haru-sama, I cannot in good conscience allow you to continue hiding in his shadow, for you do so merely with the hope that his own greatness will eclipse your own, as the moon eclipses the sun. And like the eclipse, your station in his shadow can only last briefly. One day soon, you will be forced to fight without holding back. What, then, will you do? _But the girl paid no attention to the words of her zanpakutoh; instead, she crawled forward until she had a clear view of the door. _Haru-sama…_

_Please don't call me that, _she responded with a frustrated sigh. Though she was expecting it, Haru flinched slightly as the door slid open, its reverberation a clear signal that someone was exiting the office. Sure enough, as expected, the girl found herself gazing down on the Kuchiki heir. He seemed troubled, distracted, perhaps even the slightest bit forlorn. He raised a hand to his forehead as his midnight eyes shot skyward, forcing Haru back a bit despite her confidence that she could be neither seen nor detected. A trace of sympathy arose in her at his wistful sigh; on instinct, his hand disappeared slowly into the folds of his haori, returning to sight a moment later, this time grasping an object. _My glasses?_

For such an insignificant article, Byakuya certainly seemed to take excessive pains in scrutinizing it. He raised them skyward, analyzing the nature of the sun's manner of playing across their thin, silver rim, then shifting them until the sun met the two lenses. It was an invite to retrieve them, but Haru could neither conceive this fact nor carry out the operation. With Ishida's words still fresh in her mind, she hardly bore the task of unnoticed examination, whishing now more than ever for the ability to peer into his thoughts. Suddenly, something, perhaps an internal inkling of the dawning awareness that he was not alone, disrupted his musings and drew his gaze skyward. Haru drew back, concealing herself and holding her breath as she began, once again, the task of waiting. He must have deemed the shadow and the trace unworthy of his attention. Resolutely, he tucked the glasses back in the left side of his haori and turned towards the door with every intention of returning to his work. Haru, upon perceiving the risks of lingering any longer than she already had, retrieved her sword and paced thoughtfully along the building's covering, pacing to the edge and glancing over it for a moment before dropping herself gently onto the ground. Then, she started in the opposite direction with Suzaku in a dormant state between her hands.

_Haru-sama… _ Suzaku's words ceased as her wielder ambled heavily and determinedly away. She would simply find another route leading to the Kuchiki estate, one that involved far less risk of any further reminder. _Why did you not make yourself known to him? Can you not see he is suffering?_

_Because I seem to be the cause._

_Even so, that has not stopped you before. _Despite the reality of her zanpakutoh's words, she did not change her course. _You are not intending to leave this place, are you?_

_Iie… it is too soon to think of taking such dire measures. Even so, I must take caution. Rukia is already suspicious, and I am certain Byakuya-sama has picked up on my… abnormality… as well._

_You cannot leave him._

_Suzaku, _she replied, _you do not know me well enough. If it comes down to keeping my secrets and remaining in his shadow, I can easily live without the latter._

_But Haru-sama…_

_You know how things must be! _There was an overwhelming quantity of emotion in her response, so much so that it drew her quickly against the side of the nearest building. The burning ache in her back, which had built with each step forward, suddenly exploded into an inferno of agony too strong for her to stand against. She sagged helplessly against it before succumbing entirely, gritting her teeth and clenching her first as she sank helplessly to the ground. Her lips parted, and through them passed difficult gasps that filled her lungs, still so direly in want of air. At some point, a shadow moved between her and the sun, drawing her blurry gaze into immediate investigation. Upon seeing who it was, she turned slowly, shamefully, back to the surface that currently served to support her.

"Tokazawa-san…"

"You were right," she interrupted, peering towards the quincy with one silvery eye.

"I… don't quite understand your meaning."

"I said you were right. How can you fail to understand that?

"The context is unclear." He knelt behind her, warding off the observing passers-by with his protective older brother glare, and placed both hands on her shoulders. Then, he leaned forward, resting his forehead against the back of her neck. Haru cringed slightly at the contact but did nothing to rid herself of it. At the moment, she could bear no such rebellious action, for though the searing pain had ceased growing in intensity, it had not yet begun to recede. Still, Haru's pragmatism nagged her into a resolution to move; remaining where she was had no practical purposes.

"Come on," she said suddenly, making a move to rise, but Ishida seemed resolute on preventing her from doing so. His hands remained firmly on her shoulders and affectively prevented her from going any further. "Ishi-nii…"

"A little longer," he interrupted, his voice pleading. "Please… just a little longer." Having no reason to refuse him, she silently acquiesced to his request, heaving a defeated sigh as she accepted her fate. He shook his head slowly in dismay, drawing Haru's gaze to what she could see of his own. The glint on his glasses made it difficult to read his eyes, but filling every other aspect of is expression was a dismal and forlorn trepidation that could only be for her sake. "Must you be so reckless? Must you push yourself so hard?"

"It helps me forget," Haru replied, pressing her palms against the white stone. "He… helps me forget, too." She felt Ishida tense up at her addition, but he made no move to draw away despite the intense distaste racing through his reiatsu. He simply mourned her resolution in the silence that followed until the violet-eyed shinigami fractured it with more words. "For some reason, when he is present, the past is just the past, nothing more. It isn't a plague, or a curse, or a condemning force that will ultimately be my downfall."

"Tokazawa-san…"

"Let me finish." The quincy unwillingly fell silent as she shifted with the resolution to continue. "What you and I are speaking of is the past, all of it, both recent and distant. That name is not my name anymore; I am no more noble than Kurosaki Ichigo, so really, Ishi-nii… you don't need to call me 'Haru-sama.' If anything, it will make my time in Byakuya-sama's house more trying and difficult than it already is, especially if he finds out."

"So you're perfectly happy with living a lie?"

"Ishi-nii," she murmured, "I don't want to be angry with you anymore, not on your last day here. Heaven only knows when I will see you again. Besides, don't you think that was a little harsh? Soul Society would not have me if they knew what you and sensei are both very familiar with. I have nowhere else to go." Ishida drew away, rising to his feet and offering a hand to Haru, which she gratefully took before wrapping her hands around her sword again. A silent agreement passed between them to walk, and walk they did, until the buildings grew sparse and the paved road turned to dirt. The sun ascended to its pinnacle and lingered there for an instant before beginning its trek towards the western horizon. With every step they took, a ludicrous idea flickered in the quincy's eyes, but he lacked the courage to speak of it, especially when Haru appeared to be content with simply being in his presence.

"Haru-sama…" She shot him a warning glare that made him clear his throat and correct himself. "Ano, I mean… Tokazawa-san... why don't you go back to the human world?" She raised a brow at his suggestion. "Urahara-san would be happy to watch over you, to build you a gigai. You could go on living your life…"

"So, you are suggesting that, in addition to using my mother's name, though it is truly not the one I should be using, I spend some time in a gigai and _pretend _to be alive? And you speak so ill of living lies, Ishi-nii, yet you suggest I do just that."

"The environment would suit you better," Ishida quickly replied. Haru smiled forlornly and leaned against a tree, examining the sunlight as it poured through the leaves overhead. They were just starting to change color, signaling the impending autumn to those who knew what to look for. "Tokazawa-san…"

"You know I cannot."

"But why not?" he cried. "If you're there, I can keep a better eye on you, and the risk of your secret being exposed would be slim to none! I don't… I don't understand…" She was still gazing into the sky; at that point, her violet eyes looked almost as if they had lost themselves entirely in the unending blue hanging overhead. "Nande?"

"Look up." He raised a skeptical brow at her odd request.

"Tokazawa-san, this is not the time for mind games."

"It is not a game; it is merely a request that you look up." A defeated sigh escaped him as he did as he was told. "Now, tell me… what do you see?" The answer should have been obvious, but for some reason, Ishida lacked any inkling of a suitable response. Haru watched him patiently for a few moments, at last settling herself beneath the tree she had been leaning against and propping her sword up against her shoulder. Her eyes grew more silver, her lids sinking to a point that bordered closed.

"What do you want me to say?"

"You are making it more complicated than it has to be, Ishi-nii," Haru replied, her gaze disappearing entirely as she allowed an amused laugh to escape her lips. The quincy pushed his glasses habitually up the bridge of his nose and looked again, but he saw nothing more than he had a moment before. Only the clouds had noticeably changed their positions.

"I only see the sky and the clouds, Tokazawa-san… nothing more. They are as ordinary as they have always been." Haru smiled again, her eyes peering at the bewildered quincy from beneath her lashes. He stood rigidly, almost uncomfortably, before her, awaiting some kind of judgment or valuation that never came. Instead, she folded her hands decisively and tilted her head upward, memorizing every aspect of the feeling she called serenity.

"Then you understand how I feel."

"No, I don't," he responded.

"Think of my life as the sky, then… only far less grand and far less complicated. My life in the human world is as you see the sky now: there is nothing more to it than what you can see. There was a time when my full confidence rested on fitting in to the best of my abilities in the human world, but now, all my hopes lay here." To emphasize her point, she touched the ground at her side, her eyes still alight with the saddest of smiles. "I drifted in that sky for as long as I could, Ishi-nii, and though at times I think of going back, I cannot bring myself to abandon what I have here."

"You mean you can't abandon _him_."

"That is true," Haru replied casually, shrugging her shoulders. "He is such a troublesome man… I fear he will grow more troublesome as time passes."

"I don't know what you see in him." Ishida seated himself at last, crossing his arms and throwing his glare in any direction but Haru's; he could not bring himself to soil her pleasantry with his anger, but the quincy failed to recall the clarity with which it rang in his voice.

"I see nothing more than a gracious host." It was so hard for him to remain composed, especially since she spoke the words casually, as if he had not that very morning sat in the Kuchiki's room and watched his little sister doze in the same futon he himself slept in. He held his spiteful words in until they burst from him.

"You're sleeping with him, for the gods' sakes!" Haru's eyes flashed, and in an instant, her sword was level with his shoulder, still sheathed but ghosting along his neck with enough threat to make him regret his lack of poise. Then, with deliberate slowness, she drew away, hiding the conflicting emotions in her gaze by turning back to the sky. When she sighed, it was wistful, and when she moved, it was almost like watching a wandering child who had lost her parents but was unusually calm. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ishida approached the shinigami and rested an apologetic hand on her shoulder. "I shouldn't have said that. After all, you did pass out, and he was nice enough to bring you back."

"Seventeen," she replied.

"Nani?"

"It has been seventeen days since I died, and every night I have spent here has been with him." Haru expected that at the very least, he would display far greater anger than that which he already had, but the quincy seemed to have composed himself almost to a point of peaceful indifference. At this small fortune, she allowed an inward relief to sweep over her as the wind swayed idly about. "It seems like longer."

"Haru-sama, I must ask you not to think of such things; you will strain your emotions to the breaking point."

"There is no need to worry about that," replied the shinigami, whirling so her eyes at last delve into his own. He was taken aback at the boundless elation they contained. "It may be painful to leave the few sparse things I cared for in the human world behind, but I have found new precious things here. It doesn't mean I will forget the old ones; it only means I have more of a reason to keep moving forward, no matter what fruits the past may bear." For some reason, Ishida was troubled by her high spirits and even more so by the way she was holding her sword. It was no longer in its usual docile position; instead, she held it by its handle in one hand as the white fabric tied to the silver rectangle danced in the wind. Haru paced a few steps away, gauging that she was far enough away from everything, and with unfathomable decisiveness, she took the handle in both hands, raising it slowly as her eyes clouded over with what looked like ecstasy.

"Haru-sama?"

"She will nag me, if I do not practice." The sword cut through the air at her response, drawing the slightest bit of a shiver from the otherwise composed quincy. A trace of reiatsu seeped forth, invisible but strong enough to draw the air into motion. Then, she raised her sword again.

"She is relentless, it seems," he answered as he watched the sword fall again.

"More like restless."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Suzaku is on edge. She has recently expressed her concern that something is going to happen soon, and she wants me to be ready for it, so…" Haru shot him a brief sidelong glance before returning her entire focus to the downward motion of her sword. "I try to do this for a little while each day at the very least. I have managed to goad Byakuya-sama into sparring with me twice. Then, there was Renji's interruption in the garden, the fiasco with Zaraki-taichou, and, of course, my evaluation yesterday."

"So?"

"It isn't enough," Haru responded, gritting her teeth as her sword fell again and stirred the air slightly more than it had before. "Knowing all ninety-nine kidou, being able to perform the first sixty-four without the incantation, possessing exceptional mastery of shunpo… it isn't enough. There has to be more." The wooden sword sang through the air as it fell, stirring the air again with its present yet invisible force

"You can't possibly mean bankai, not this early!"

"Soutaichou-sama had already granted me permission to use any preventative methods short of bankai on Zaraki-taichou should he decide to attack me again." Ishida watched incredulously as the sword began its slow climb, reached its apex, and again swished through the air. "I generally attempt to play by the rules, but if the situation calls for such measures, I will use them."

"You mean to say you already reached bankai?"

"I am not saying anything," Haru replied, cutting the air again, her violet eyes alight with determination. "Nothing aside from, of course, my determination to protect what few precious things I have."

"Should you really be doing this, Haru-sama? I mean, after last night… don't you think you've done enough?" Haru paused in her movement, tilting her sword so it ran almost parallel to her own body. Her eyes, raised on the sky overhead, fell shut, her breath became still, and for an instant, she was a statue picturesque of determined ambition. Something in the air shifted just before the sword raced forward. As it sliced through the emptiness, an evident increase in power became apparent to the quincy, who shielded his eyes from the blinding golden glow pouring forth from both Haru and her zanpakutoh. Other than a slight gust of wind and the burst of reiatsu, their surroundings remained undisturbed, for the spiritual power was gentle. As opposed to obliterating objects that stood at risk for being destroyed, it embraced them, winding about as if it had a mind of its own, investigating this tree or that rock, and always flowing with fire's heat but water's gentility.

Haru released her breath, and the golden light shattered into countless ashes. Her eyes opened slowly to let the world back in after having gone so far from it in a single swing. She looked to the quincy, whose face betrayed any chance of hiding his astonishment. The sword hung parallel to the ground beneath her feet, its ribbon falling gently to a position in which gravity was the only force acting on it. The shinigami sighed again, sliding her right hand along the wood of the sheath before wrapping her left hand around her weapon and returning to the same docile manner of grasping it. "Now it is enough," she replied.

"Haru-sama…" The steady rhythm of her steps broke, and with amusement flickering in her violet eyes, she turned to him. "I see… you have improved. Do you have a name for that technique yet?"

"Not yet," she replied. "Suzaku keeps refusing to tell me because she doesn't think I'm ready yet. If what she tells me is true, and I have no doubt that it is, then I can only use that move before calling her into shikai. It is… one of her many unique properties." They shared a smile and a brief moment of observation of their surroundings. Then, like all things, their time there came to an end, or it would have had Haru not stopped suddenly.

"Nandesuka?"

"I think… I'm a little lost." She turned sheepishly back to the quincy, bowing apologetically at his somewhat unamuzed expression. A gentle laugh, entertained yet anxious, cut through the silence that otherwise would have followed. "Gomen… I was so focused on the road that I didn't really pay attention to where I was going."

"Haru-sama… you're completely hopeless."

"But Ishi-nii… I've never been good with directions. It has taken me this long just to learn my way from the dining room to the bathroom and then to my bed. I still could not even begin to tell you how I got from the Kuchiki estate to the sixth division office today…"

"What were you doing there?"

"Just thinking," Haru responded, smiling as they walked along without direction or destination, but it was likely towards civilization. The road had just turned from soil to pavement. "Usually, I help out with the paperwork as much as I can, mostly organizing it, but for some reason, he has seen fit to give me a reprieve."

"As he damn well should. You nearly fought yourself to death yesterday." Ishida glanced to her, finding the same content smile on her face. "It's a very serious matter… nothing to smile over."

"I know."

"Then why are you still smiling?"

"Perhaps I am merely enjoying your company." With a groan of defeat and incomprehension, the quincy placed a hand to his head and glanced up at the sky.

"You're hopeless."

"Arigato."

"It wasn't a compliment!" he cried in frustration, drawing an amused laugh from the girl. "It's not funny!"

"Gomen, gomen… I shouldn't laugh." And with those words, she composed herself, timing her steps to match his own. Haru cleared her throat before wrapping her hands tightly around her sword, attempting once again to relish the feel of the cool breeze "I suppose we always manage to find our way in the end, do we not?" He made a sound she took as an affirmative response and then allowed silence to take over. Civilization was coming into view and growing with every step they took. Their time together grew short, almost to the point that neither could bear to speak for fear of losing themselves in the dreary separation that was fast approaching.

"Haru-sama?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you… sure it is your wish to stay here?"

"I would like nothing more." The resolve in her voice was overwhelming, and with a grim half-smile, the quincy pushed his glasses up again. "Except maybe for you to quit calling me 'Haru-sama.' That isn't who I am anymore."

"Nande?" The question bewildered her. "Is it because you claim to be a shinigami, or is it because of something else?"

"It is hard to tell at this point in time exactly what I expect from this little excursion of mine and whether or not I will stay for good. All I know is that this is something I must do, for my mother's sake and my father's." Ishida seemed to be in the middle of processing her words when Haru darted a short distance ahead of him, turning back with a rapidity that caused the white ends of the fabric tied to the square hoop of her zanpakutoh, as well as the golden ends of the ribbon tying her hair, to flutter briefly, suspended by nothing more than her momentum. The smile on her face was elated and innocent, yet underlying that placid joy was the bittersweet knowledge that it would all come to an end. "Ishi-nii, have you ever regretted promising to look after me?" A faint smirk appeared as he pushed his glasses up his nose again; the light reflected almost mischievously off of them.

"Only when I lose sleep over it." He laughed lightly at the mock offense that flitted briefly across her expression. "Why do you ask?"

"If it is too troublesome a task for you to continue, then I will be more than happy to release you from that promise. I know Ryuuken isn't exactly thrilled about our correspondence." Haru's hands moved nervously along her sword for a moment before dropping her shameful eyes to the ground. She appeared as a child who was certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that an older relative despised her very existence, and Ishida's nonexistent doubt lacked a voice in the matter altogether because her assumption was absolutely correct. "I don't want it causing problems for you."

"That shouldn't be any of your concern," replied the quincy, his voice composed but possessing a trace of the undeniable odium he felt towards his father. "I'll handle things on my end, so long as you can handle a majority of the things on yours."

"Hai." Though she was still smiling, the false cheer in her voice did nothing to hide the truth from him. They continued on, guided by Ishida's knack at sensing reiatsu, to the point designated for their collective joining. From there, they would be led to a gate and escorted back to the human world. "Ishi-nii."

"Hmm?"

"I must ask you one small favor, as you are returning to the living world. Will you deliver a message to sensei for me?" This time, it was he who stepped in front of her, turning with thoughtful placidity to his nominal sister, producing one article or another from the folds of his cloak, and pressing it gently into her hand.

"Tell him yourself." She stared at the object for a moment, turning it over in her hands, admiring its sleek, jet black hue. It looked suspiciously like an ordinary cell phone to the point of warranting further inquiry. Her eyes rose to Ishida's, pressing him silently for a further explanation. "Urahara-san told me to give that to you, along with his wishes that you call him if anything should go wrong. In all the excitement, I haven't had a chance to deliver it. You don't need to worry about charging it; the battery runs on reiatsu. Urahara-san designed it himself. He figured it may come in handy. And, of course…" Ishida eyed her critically for a moment before pushing down on her head with a heavy hand. "That means I expect you to keep in touch with me as well."

"I will, I will," she replied, smiling and shutting one eye beneath the weight, "but only if you return the favor. If something happens in the human world, let me know. As I am not yet under the jurisdiction of the thirteen divisions, I am not yet shackled to Soul Society."

"Who decided that?"

"I did, of course," she replied, crossing her arms with a confident nod.

"Is that so? And what will you tell Byakuya-san if you decide to take a little… unannounced vacation?"

"I'll deal with him when I get back. Troublesome though he may be, I am by degrees learning how exactly one handles the interrogations and idiosyncrasies of a nobleman."

"Perhaps because you yourself are, or once were, a noble?"

"Who knows?" They continued along, each wrapped in their own thoughts, Haru smiling ear to ear while Ishida's protective eyes wandered to her occasionally. Ishida directed their movements in the designated direction with surprising accuracy, and Haru walked almost submissively beside him. It was a bit unsettling for the quincy to have her use such mannerisms, but he shrugged them off with a heavy sigh. A short period of silence passed, and then, Ichigo's blinding orange hair caught Haru's attention. As they finally came in sight of the waiting group, which happened to include Abarai Renji and Haru's ever hospitable host, Ishida's gaze turned a bit critical. "Nandesuka?" Seeing as they were near enough to be within earshot, the quincy gave his reply in a quiet tone.

"For the gods' sakes, I wish you would get your glasses back." Haru looked thoughtfully at Byakuya for a moment; he seemed to be half paying attention to the most recent squabble that had broken out between Ichigo and Renji. A smile crossed her face, the likes of which he knew was nothing but trouble.

"I can arrange that, if you so desire." Instinctively, he reached out a hand to stop her, but he was too late. She had already vanished from sight, flashing away with incredible speed, especially in light of having only a partial recovery. The raven-haired captain didn't suspect a thing, and Haru, being somewhat methodical in nature, took every advantage of the situation. In an instant, she came into his gaze and thrust a hand rapidly inside his hakama. His expression never changed as his hand instinctively fell on his sword and his eyes fell into her own. For a brief, almost indistinguishable instant, he hesitated. Then, the senbonzakura emerged in its unreleased form, moving in her direction with a venomous flash, but the only thing it struck was the empty air. Haru's feet slid across the pavement, and she stopped almost precisely where she had begun, a short distance in front of the completely bewildered quincy. She paid no attention to the shocked eyes following the slow and deliberate motion of her right hand as she cleaned the lenses with her sleeve and pushed them slowly up her nose. Violet eyes appeared from behind them a moment later, locking on Byakuya, who wavered between shock and fury, shifting to the completely aghast Renji, and finally turning away to analyze the quincy's blank expression. "There," she said matter-of-factly. "Does that please you?"

His brow twitched once before his hands seized the edges of her hakama and heaved her feet nearly off the ground. "Haru-sama, is there even a brain in that empty head of yours? You'd be dead if that sword had hit you! Pitting your agility against a shinigami's, and a captain's no less, so soon after fighting yourself into illness… must you be so reckless?" All of this came in a very animated rush of words, and every two or three syllables, Ishida shook her involuntarily to emphasize his point. Their audience wavered briefly between amusement and curious horror before finally falling entirely into the latter state. Despite her rough treatment, the violet-eyed shinigami only smiled, and when the quincy realized this, he stopped shaking her. "What the hell are you smiling for?"

"Oh, no reason… I just don't think I've ever seen you quite this animated." With a half-groan, half-sigh, Ishida released her, raising a woeful hand to his head.

"You're so hopeless… couldn't you have just asked him to give them back?"

"I thought you knew me better," Haru responded, casting her triumphant gaze at the perturbed captain. "Deliberation is always my first line of defense. When that peaceable and civil device fails, I must resort to other methods. Killing him would have been over the top, not to mention troublesome… so I settled on taking them back." The discourse was casual, and she spoke every word with a smile that walked the fine line between triumph and amusement. She stared at the captain and waited for him to speak, but he either refused to deliver his words in public or forcibly held them back. "Fine, fine… I apologize. My intention was not to affront your pride, either yours individually or that of your division, but it seems you have taken it that way. Please forgive me." Byakuya was silent for a moment; he was, in truth, still trying to piece together what had just happened.

"See? I told you she was better than Byakuya," Ichigo said triumphantly. Immediately, she wished unfathomable pain and suffering upon the brazen teen, for nothing worse could have been said; Haru's eyes took on an almost venomous light, and in that moment, she looked nearly as formidable as the silently fuming captain. She had no choice but to let it go, for the time had come for the unexpected visitors to depart.

"Ukitake-taichou is seeing us off," Rukia answered. "We should get going. Thank you again for your hospitality, nii-sama." She bowed as low as she could to hide her complete and utter defeat and began in the designated direction. The others followed her quickly, but Ishida lingered for a moment. He rested a hand on her head again, his eyes glimmering behind his own glasses with brotherly affection.

"Promise you won't be reckless."

"I cannot promise that," she responded, her tone laden with foreboding, "but I will avoid it when I can."

"Arigato." Ishida took one last glance at her before trotting after his comrades. The sun was beginning to sink lower in the sky, and Haru, having been ridden of the quincy's presence, let the sorrowful smile fade.

"Sayonara, Ishi-nii," she murmured, bowing her head beneath the weight of such a final word, but she was not permitted much time for melancholy reflections, as a moment later, she found herself being shaken yet again by a more forceful hand.

"The hell was that?" demanded the red-headed vice captain, giving Haru a jolt when her gaze wandered away from his.

"What was what?"

"That! Just now!"

"I am not sure of your meaning."

"Don't play dumb! _That!_" he repeated, this time with more emphasis. Haru then knew full well what he meant, and with shame, she turned her gaze fully away from him. "You trying to kill him or something? Just what are you?" Despite his rough treatment, Haru continued to hang limply in his hands, her silvery-violet eyes fixed on their elongated shadows.

"That is enough, Renji." He wavered between obedience and rebellion before he finally complied with his captain. Haru rubbed her aching shoulder, gritting her teeth at the dull ache working through it at having been jarred so many times. Without Ishida there, a slow fatigue began to work its way over her, but it was driven away by the sound of his composed and poised steps. She had half a mind to withdraw, but then she recalled the previous night, and instead stayed rooted to the spot, her shameful eyes still locked on the ground. Her entire body tensed as he passed her, which at last drew her gaze out of its retreat. Byakuya paused, throwing her an expectant look over his shoulder and catching her eyes victoriously as he spoke.

"Renji, you may go home if you so desire. I can finish the paperwork, so long as I have Haru-kun's assistance." The redhead raised an incredulous brow and threw an almost distasteful look at the bewildered girl. From the looks of things, she was almost as red as his hair was; not only had he acknowledged his reliance on her, however indirectly, but he had done so in front of a subordinate while referring to her in a manner that blatantly implied their closeness. For some reason, she sensed more than paperwork in her near future. An interrogation seemed highly probable. A glint of trepidation worked its way into her gaze, one that Renji did not fail to take note of. "Haru-kun."

"Hai!" she managed, darting after him until she found herself immersed once more in his shadow. She peered back at the vice captain for a moment before locking her eyes on the roku character, distracting herself from his questioning gaze by memorizing every bold line that composed it. Renji remained where he was for a moment, raising a hand to his head and rubbing the back of it while he tried to make sense of things.

"Wonder what they're up to." Of all the possibilities that crossed his mind, only one seemed even remotely plausible, and even that scenario was far-fetched. "Could taichou actually…" He then tried to visualize it, but doing so hurt his head too much. "Nah, couldn't be," he reassured himself after failing miserably in his endeavor, and he put his feet in the direction of the nearest bar.

The light of the sixth division office was on late that night, though it shouldn't have surprised Haru in the least with seven stacks of papers left to go through. Yet for some reason, it did. For some reason, she expected an interrogation, a coldly heated demand for information, or some subtle hint of lingering perturbation on Byakuya's part. She received none; only the request that she fetch them the usual dinner, and the reminder that once it was consumed, they begin working their way through the remnants of the day's labors. The evening meal was consumed in silence, and with such rapidity that Haru nearly choked several times; even the noble Kuchiki wielded his chopsticks in a manner that was slightly less graceful than usual due to his increase in speed.

Then, it began, but sadly, the papers did not vanish as quickly as their meal had. Haru, having finished her task, gazed at the sparse remnants of his forms, now down to about a third of a stack, and then looked to the clock on the wall, which read a quarter to eleven. Already, her body was screaming for a hot bath and a warm bed, and if she had any trace of certainty that she could convince the captain to abandon his futile efforts to finish the last of his work for the more inviting aspects of the evening, she would have done so. Knowing that it was not at all possible, Haru contended herself in simply being there, in feeling the dull pain in her shoulder and the persistent haze of fatigue, in hearing his brush flutter almost soundlessly across the pages. She had no desire to initiate a conversation; she was afraid of where it may lead.

At last, he set the brush aside triumphantly. Seeing that he was at last finished, Haru fought off every urge to stir, knowing that her muscles and his tolerance of her would suffer dearly if she did so. Byakuya heaved a sigh and pushed his chair back, resting his eyes on the expectant girl in an unobtrusive corner. The violet eyes immediately evaded his own. Discontented at her blatant rejection, he rose to his feet, meandering to her corner and seating himself before her. "Would you like to explain yourself now, Haru-kun?" Resolution probed her hand to ball into a fist while her wild violet eyes burned with rebellion. A silent understanding seemed to be established that she would tell him nothing, but he ignored that understanding, ignored the very part of his mind that contained reason, and placed a warm hand against her cheek, forcing her gaze to his.

"There is nothing to explain. I move fast when I need to. That is all."

"Your agility is the least of my concerns; I have always theorized your formidability in battle, knowing full well you would show me when you were ready. I have had a glimpse of it in part, and I feel I understand you a little more than I did this morning." Any reminder of the morning would have been enough to set her cheeks ablaze, and considering his close proximity, there was no possible way she could hide it. Byakuya himself looked a little embarrassed at it, but it could have just been the way the light embraced his form, bestowing upon it a sort of glow that gave his face emotion where there otherwise would have been none.

"About that…" she murmured, glancing briefly into his eyes. "I wish to apologize for any trouble I caused, and to thank you. I hope you did not lose too much sleep on my account." Something flitted across his expression, telling her that clearly, he had lost more sleep than he had counted on and that he expected more than that. "What is it you want me to say?"

"Tell me," he replied, forcing her gaze on his again. "Why does that quincy refer to you in such a formal manner?"

"I'm not sure what you mean…" Haru's voice trailed off, and her eyes fled from Byakuya's again. How many times had she let it slip in his presence? Could she simply justify it by claiming it was his mistake? From the looks of things, that was not an option; he seemed so convinced of what he'd heard that Haru could no more fathom how to deny its truth than how else she could rationalize it. Thinking clearly about anything was difficult with his eyes delving into her own and his warm hand pressed against the side of her face. The final traces of her hopes that he could be fooled died away, and she was forced to confront the matter as he perceived it. "Oh, that…" she murmured desolately. "It is nothing to worry about, a small, resolved matter of the past he pretends to forget sometimes."

Haru shifted to move, but Byakuya's other arm blocked her path, showing that he had no intention of letting her go so easily. He pressed his palm against the wall, hoping it would ease his unending vexation with the girl, but it did nothing to alleviate the frustrated traces racing through his blood. Solemnly, he closed his eyes. "You lied," he said simply.

"I did no such thing," she argued fiercely.

"You said you were not of noble blood…"

"I said I was not a noble by your standards."

"Then how can you be so by the standards of a quincy?" His words came with more force than he meant them to, and Haru quaked beneath them. When he opened his eyes to examine hers again, he found them pleading yet firm in their resistance.

"Please do not ask me that." The violet gaze disappeared for a moment. "You can ask me anything you like, and I will willingly provide the most honest answer I can give, but not that, not that." Hearing the tears in her voice, Byakuya was half-tempted to draw away and provide her with room to breathe, but those same eyes that defied him kept him in close proximity, threatening to drown him in the sentimental ocean contained therein. For the first time since it came to rest there, he felt Haru push the weight of her cheek against his palm. "What should I do, Byakuya-sama?" Her hand rose and pressed against his own, trembling with confusion. "I can't let you any closer than I have already, but I can't push you away, either. I lack the resolve and the desire to do so entirely." She glanced at him again, her gaze half-hidden by her eyelids, and like the tone in which she continued speaking, they were distant. "You should rid yourself of me."

"Haru-kun…"

"Your strength far exceeds mine in matters such as this. Do yourself a favor, save yourself anymore trouble than you have already suffered on my account. Give me an order, an honest and resolute order, to leave, and I will go to the ends of the world to see it done." He looked appalled at the very suggestion, drawing across her face a smile as empty as her words had been. "Is it so difficult, Kuchiki Byakuya?" Midnight eyes bit into her, but she took no notice; she merely continued speaking. "You know nothing of me; you only think you know. No… you know nothing of me, nothing at all, not my power, not my name… nothing."

Even for all the distance she had driven between the world and herself, Haru still gasped as she was crushed between the wall and his body. For such a slender frame, he certainly felt heavy enough when he was leaning fully against her with both palms pressed against the wall and his chin resting on her shoulder. A soft breath crept along her jaw line, composed and as resolute as she herself had been moments before. "Will I ever understand you?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. At such a close proximity, Haru felt every shift in his body: the beating of his pulse, the slight quiver working its way through his typically unshakable frame, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest as he drew breath. Her eyes clouded over with a haze of elation as the Kuchiki's head turned and he nuzzled the point where her jaw bone met her ear. Byakuya stirred as a wave of hesitance passed through him, but he couldn't bear to tear himself away from the girl. Instead, he only managed to murmur in a soft and husky tone, "You still have much to learn, Haru-kun. I will teach you…"

He felt her arms wind around his shoulders, gripping the folds of his scarf tightly as she leaned towards his ear. "Then I would have to call you sensei, and that will never do."

"Why not?"

"For one thing, I am already so used to calling you Byakuya-sama, and for another… I do not believe you wish to be grouped with Urahara Kisuke in any manner." He seemed to accept her points as valid and gave no reply. An idea crossed his mind, tempting him to draw away just to see the reaction in her gaze as he spoke, but the thought of losing her warmth was still too much to bear at the moment.

"The quincy… did he say something to you?" After a moment of silence, he took her lack of a response as an affirmative. "Curse him… and his meddling. I knew I should have dealt with him the first time he threatened to kill me."

"First time?" she inquired.

"He barged in my office today and demanded that I mind my distance. Following his brief and unexpected visit, I found myself unable to concentrate… not that I could in the first place."

"Nande?"

"I am sure you are aware that your own poor condition contributed to my lack of productivity today."

"Gomen," she murmured, burying her face in his shoulder. "It was not my intention, and you know Ishi-nii well enough to know he is just playing the typical overprotective older brother. I hope you will excuse his behavior if he has offended you."

"I suppose I can overlook it just this once… but if he threatens me again, I will be forced to defend my pride."

"Understood." The night seemed to roll on in spite of their desire that it would last forever. Silence held a brief throne before it was driven callously away by a gentle, hesitant inquiry on Haru's part. "May I ask you something, Byakuya-sama?"

"Nandesuka?"

"You… know next to nothing about me, yet you insist on being near me. Can I ask you why?"

"The reason is irrelevant, and as to knowing nothing about you, I already know one important thing: your greatest weakness." Byakuya pulled her away from the wall just enough to snake his hands behind her and run a finger along her spine, at which she fidgeted and hissed. He withdrew with surprising rapidity, locking his smoldering midnight eyes on hers, allowing his contentment to permeate the usual stoic mask. "How much I know does not matter; it is as you have already said, I will learn by degrees." Those words drew from her the first genuine smile he had seen from her all day. "Shall we go home, Haru-kun?"

"Home?"

"Would you not call it home at this point in time?" Haru's smile faded as the traces of thought worked their way into her gaze. It was a word of such permanence and stability that she hesitated to use it, nor did she even consider Byakuya's use of it a possibility. Nonetheless, she nodded her head in affirmative. With the same gentle caution he would have taken in lifting a glass rose, he lifted Haru to her feet as he himself rose. Only then did she let go of him, cheeks still fiery, eyes shimmering with contented bliss and a trace of guilt, which he alleviated by taking one loose lock of hair between his fingers. She wasn't quite sure why she trembled as his hand raced down that lock to its very ends, why she trembled even more at the slow and deliberate manner with which he moved, or how in heaven's name her face turned any redder when he pressed that hair to his lips.

"Byakuya-sama…" His hazy eyes peered at her from behind his dark lashes, which had grown so dark that they nearly appeared black. A bold smile broke her awkwardness as she seized his arm in her own, pressing against it with enough weight to throw off his balance slightly. "You really are something, you know?" It was only when she smiled in such a manner that her countenance even remotely resembled that of her mother, but that determination of hers… that dangerous determination, now that was another matter entirely. Byakuya supposed, as they walked side by side in the light of the growing moon, that it came from her father. That subject, he avoided, if only for the sake of not losing the sight of her smile, which shown just as bright as the pale moon overhead.

* * *

So, there we go... another fluffish chapter. I swear... I'm so happy break starts soon... not more time to write, but more time to get things done. If the next chapter lags, it's because of all my term papers and such... they're starting to pile up, and the hour draws near when I will need to bust them all out. Forgive me for any delays that follow... I thought I would throw this one up to content my more rabid fans who will, no doubt, come to smite me if I don't keep them satisfied... ' (I actually haven't received any death threats for not posting yet... thankfully). Thanks again for reading; keep scrolling for a glance at my pitiful and limited Japanese vocabulary!

Urusai : Shut up

Sumimasen : Excuse me

Hai : Yes

Baka : Stupid (idiot, etc.)

Nandesuka : What is it

Gomen : I'm sorry

Arigato : Thank you

Nande : Why

Roku : Six

Huh... either I missed a crapload of terms, or I didn't use that many in this chapter. Oh well... happy trails, and I hope to update sometime before my break is over! I'll do my best! Thanks again for reading! Now I really need a nap.


	15. Chapter 15: Lesson

A/N: Greetings, readers! Yes, I'm still alive… even though I feel like I got hit by a bus. I find it mildly ironic that Spring Break is thus labeled, when in reality, it is twice as exhausting as typical attendance of class. At any rate, I managed to throw this little beastie together between reading my ass off and socializing… I finished editing it at about 1:00 am last night, but since I needed to get up at 8 this morning, I refrained from posting it until today. Thank you for your patience! It is much appreciated. ; Also, for those of you who have been begging me for constructive plot stuffs, I have gladly granted your wish. Happy Green Day! (Even though it was yesterday). Hope you all enjoy it! Kudos to everyone who has stuck with this story; words are unable to express my appreciation. Here goes nothing! XD

Slight Update: Thanks to FlameHazel for correcting my spelling... I apologize... 

* * *

_Chapter 15: Lesson_

Under normal circumstances, Byakuya would have been secretly thrilled to get rid of his unwanted house guests; Renji had returned to his shanty, no doubt in a state of utter disarray, and Haru was once again his only company aside from the servants. That was before he saw the mountain of paperwork that occupied his desk on Saturday morning. Standing behind his right shoulder was Renji, who uttered several oaths, including a threat to bring charges of attempted murder against the person who had cast upon them such a dismal fate. "If I ever find the bastard, I'll…" And he went on grumbling, unnoticed by Byakuya, who was silently sizing up his workload and wondering just how late he would have to stay that night in order to complete it.

"With all do respect, Abarai-san, your use of expletives is completely and entirely unnecessary." The interruption came from the well-rested and entirely composed Haru, whose right hand rested on her glasses while her sword hung docilely in her left. In assessing the vast order before him, he had almost forgotten Haru's insistence that she come and how, periodically during their trek to the office, he would glance back to see the redhead scowling at her mere presence. His hand burned in rebellion against the absence of the girl's. It was with the utmost difficulty that Byakuya contented himself at her smile. She still wore it now, even in light of their unending, impossible task.

"Why are you even here?"

"Because three pairs of hands are more efficient than two, especially when one is weighted down by a hangover." Haru knew she had struck a nerve. His tattooed brow twitched with irritation, and he would have argued back had the mere effort of thinking not made his head throb. The trio remained in the doorway, staring at the sickeningly ordered stacks, each with the hope that they would magically vanish, but no such miracle befell them on that particular morning. "You really should learn to restrain yourself, Abarai-san. Sake is good, but being able to function is more pragmatic."

"Don't say anything about sake," he retorted, putting a hand to his head.

"I thought you were too young to drink," Byakuya noted, recalling that the mature-looking young woman in front of him was merely a teenager. A sheepish quality worked its way into her amused grin. "Urahara actually had such a lax in responsibility that he gave alcohol to a mere child?"

"Actually, I snuck three whole bottles without him knowing it." This time, it was Byakuya's turn to raise a brow, more of admonishment than anything else. He told himself it was a good thing she was unaware of his own small stash, a collection of high-quality rice wine that he seldom indulged in. On occasions in which he did, it was never in excess, usually taken before tea, and always after the end of the day so as not to risk having unexpected visitors. Something told him he would be breaking into that stash later in the evening, preferably without her knowing about it.

"And you mean to tell me you did this without becoming inebriated?"

"Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I limited my intake to a level that would not actually get me drunk. Aside from that, I suppose I hold my liquor very well."

"Don't say anything about liquor," Renji pleaded, causing Haru to smile and shake her head in an almost motherly fashion. He looked exhausted, agonized, and slightly ill, all of which were new faces of the redhead Haru had yet to experience. Despite his obvious dislike of her, however, she found the traces of sympathy already working over her. Byakuya, who seemed accustomed to such things, crossed the threshold without so much as an iota of compassion.

"The paperwork will not do itself, Renji," he said, seating himself behind the laden desk so only the top of his head showed above the stacks of papers. "I suggest you get to work."

"Hai, taichou," he replied, trudging to his own office, which seemed to be in a room adjacent to that which Byakuya worked in. Once the door was closed behind him, Haru walked through it, peering briefly into the vice captain's to see just as much paperwork covering his desk. There seemed to be no end to it, not just the paperwork, but his own miserable condition. It was with reluctance that she peeled herself away from the door and began the task of organizing Byakuya's own mound of forms. She did so silently and efficiently, pausing every now and then at what sounded like footsteps pacing across the floor of Renji's office.

"Do you think it would be possible for me to get him some tea?" Haru asked in the middle of her task. Byakuya peered out from behind the mountain, his stoic eyes burning with a somewhat curious light. "It is not to smooth over whatever imperfection or impurity he sees in me, and if I did it out of pity, he would never take it. What I mean to say is, he would be more efficient if he was able to ease his tension, and tea seems to do that just as well as any sake I have ever had." Once she was finished speaking, Byakuya returned his attention to the paperwork before him, throwing the entirety of his focus into finishing his cursory glance at the usual report. Taking his silence as a refusal, Haru returned to her own task, jolting a moment later when she heard his chair scrape across the floor and saw his frame appear from behind the white wall between them. "Byakuya-sama?"

He said nothing but took her hand and almost forcefully pressed something into it. Startled by the contact, Haru merely stared into his eyes as he pulled her into a standing position with both his hands closed around her own. She easily read the meaning in his gaze, and smiling her silent thanks, she began to pull away only to be inevitably prevented by the captain. "Get one for me, too," he murmured. Nodding her head to show she understood, Haru darted away from the office with a spring in her step and her sword between her hands. Once she was gone, Byakuya did something he seldom even considered: he pushed the door to Renji's office open and stepped calmly inside.

At the moment, he was struggling with one form or another, though it was more a matter of focus than of difficulty. Perhaps that was because the very captain he thought would be hard at work in the next room had entered as silently as a shadow and was presently glaring at him with distaste. "You would do well to control yourself next time you consume alcohol. I will no longer accept it as an excuse for you not to finish your paperwork." He was half tempted to roll his eyes at the lecture, and he would have had he not suspected Byakuya would impale him for disrespect. "You will stay here until it is finished."

"But taichou—"

"I see I have had a lapse of judgment for not having dealt with this matter sooner and in a more severe manner."

"It's Saturday…" Byakuya's eyes darkened threateningly. As he turned, the scarf fluttered after him, waving one final warning as he stood in the doorway.

"You will finish, or you will stay here all night," he repeated, and he closed the door slightly harder than he intended to further emphasize his point. As he paced back to his desk, he couldn't decide whether it was his vice captain's usual inebriation or Haru's concern that frustrated him more. _What a troublesome girl. _His eyes scanned habitually over the form, and in several sweeps of the brush, he was on to the next one. _Yet her presence eases the task, for one reason or another. _Though she was physically absent, several strong traces of Haru's reiatsu remained, just enough to drive him forward at his usual breakneck pace. _Sake…_

Byakuya mused over the word, pausing as his mind was dragged into the past. In an instant, he was back again, on the night when a certain captain of the fifth division insisted on grabbing what she insisted would be "one quick drink."

"Come on, Byakuya… would it kill you to loosen up?" The informal manner in which she addressed him grated against his nerves, but not as much as the grasp on his scarf and his futile efforts to resist as she practically dragged him forward. "Besides, we just got back from a mission… take a break, relax a bit…" It was the hardest mission ever; her presence made it so. In that respect, Haru was very different from her mother in spite of that undeniable trace of boldness that from time to time worked its way into her countenance.

"Release me," he retorted in monotone.

"I'll let go, but not 'til we get to where we're going." For some reason, it was hard to tell her "no," and having been left with no other options, the noble Kuchiki Byakuya was forced to succumb to the desires of the newly-induced captain. Then again, there was no harm in trying once more.

"Misuzu, I must insist that you let me go."

"If I let you go, you'll run away," she replied, her nutmeg hair swaying as she walked forward. Byakuya thrust a cold glare at whatever onlooker allowed their gaze to linger too long on his helplessness. Unfortunately, his eyes did nothing to still the whispers people were emitting. "People make you nervous, don't they?" The question was delivered in response to a slight, almost undetectable shift in his reiatsu that brought to light his undeniable anxiety. "I always figured you were the shy type. Don't worry about it; I won't subject you them for much longer."

"Misuzu…" His tone was threatening, but she seemed well aware that she was in control of the situation. "Hisana is… waiting." With an abruptness that caught even Byakuya off guard, her forward steps ceased, and she turned smiling to the captain. It wasn't a bitter smile, or a voluptuous one; in fact, at that point in her life, Tokazawa Misuzu had no fortune in matters of love, which fully justified the hint of envy darting across her vibrant, violet eyes. She relinquished her grip on his scarf, which he immediately set to adjusting, even while her gaze followed his every motion.

"Come on," she said. "We're almost there. I won't keep you long." How could he deny such a pitiful tone? He followed willingly in her steps, eyeing her nutmeg hair as its ends swayed gently between her shoulder blades. By then, the road was deserted, leaving only the trees and the sky as their company. Just when the silence was beginning to get unsettling, she stopped for a second time. "Here." Byakuya's brow arched in curiosity, for there seemed to be nothing in particular about that spot that made it suitable for whatever Misuzu's purposes were. "Sit."

"I don't have time for this…"

"Fine, fine… go home…" From somewhere in her luggage, Misuzu produced two ceramic sake cups and a bottle of particularly high quality rice wine to be served cold, which, surprisingly, was Byakuya's preferred way to have it. Her eyes flashed up at him, judging his reaction with a mixture of surprise and fascination. "It may not taste as good since I'm drinking it all by myself, but it gives me a damn good reason to have seconds." His brow twitched, drawing a victorious grin to her face. The resulting defeat weighted him down to the point that he knelt beside her, watching as a clear stream of sake flowed first into his cup, then into her own. What surprised Byakuya most about her manner of pouring was how she seemed to see every movement, even with the sun so low in the sky. She managed to pour them each a serving without wasting a drop, and after capping the bottle, she lifted her cup, swirling the liquid and examining it.

"What are you doing?"

"Good sake is like good tea… it deserves to be enjoyed with all five senses." Byakuya lifted his own cup and glanced at his reflection. As much as he hated to admit it, the point was completely and utterly valid. "Furthermore, good sake tastes better when you've got good company." Another valid point… perhaps this woman was worth spending a little time with after all. "So, here's to your victory on the mission, and the hopes that we'll never work together again. Kampai!"

"Nani?" he inquired, startled by her rudeness but before he could continue his argument, she had already drained her cup. "Chotto matte…" He swallowed the rest of his sentence and washed it down with sake. Meanwhile, the fifth division captain was busy pouring herself another cup, and seeing that he had finished his first, she quickly supplied him with more.

"If you've got something to say, then say it. I'm one of those people who're pretty hard to offend."

"It is not appropriate."

"Come on, spit it out, Byakuya," she said, adding as an afterthought, "unless you're too scared to." That bold smile flickered across her expression, causing him to lose what few words he had been grappling with.

"In your toast, I fear you have contradicted yourself." Misuzu peered at him as she swirled the sake beneath her nose, taking in its scent before swallowing it with the same rapidity she had her first.

"How do you mean?"

"If you considered me good company, you would not toast to us never working together again."

"Quit trying to fool me. You can't honestly say you enjoyed our little expedition to the human world." In an instant, they became piercing, almost as if they threatened to see straight through to his soul. It was with discontent that Byakuya downed his second cup of sake and habitually extended the empty container for a refill, which his companion gave him without hesitation. "What it comes down to is, you don't think I'm good enough to be a captain."

"I never said…"

"You don't _have_to say anything," she replied, exercising her controlling presence with a subtlety and a skill that rivaled his own. "I've been dealing with people all my life. I'm sharp enough to know when someone doesn't approve. Well, let me tell you something…" Misuzu paused to fill her sake cup and drain it before continuing. "I may not be a noble, but I sure as hell know I'm a damn good captain."

"That is a rather bold statement." Misuzu filled his cup again, watching with eyes unclouded by inebriation despite the fact that she had already downed five. By the time he spoke again, she had emptied the remainder of the bottle and brought out a second. "What made you think that?"

"Easy," she replied, watching the stream of liquid that rushed from the newly opened bottle to occupy her empty cup. "Unlike you and most of the other captains, I don't distance myself from my subordinates, nor do I intimidate them, nor do I abuse them." Seeing the curious look on his face brought out that smile again. At some point, a drunken flush had crept into her cheeks. Suddenly, his curiosity turned to impatience, and a silent demand for the point passed between them. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I don't work above them." She tilted her cup again, watching as the silvery light above them played across the sake's surface. "I mean, technically, I do. I'm the one serving as a direct link between the fifth division and the first division, but really… I don't feel like I work above them. I feel more like… more like I work with them. Sousuke-kun, Gin-kun… and everyone else… they're like family."

"You have a rather distorted view of things, Tokazawa Misuzu."

"Why does it have to be distorted?" It was the most serious question Byakuya had ever heard her ask, and it had that same quality that stayed all his efforts to leave before he even became conscious of them. "Maybe you're the one that's distorted, growing up in that big house, not knowing illness or famine. Rukongai does that to a person, I guess. It makes you thankful for the bonds you have, the good ones and the bad ones." She drained her sake cup again, fixing her clear violet eyes on the stars and allowing her mind to wander for a moment. Then, she noticed his cup was empty, and as any good host is prone to do, she filled it before refilling her own. "There were times I almost gave up. Watching so many people die does that to you. One day, it's an old man who had no coat and went out to try finding something to eat, the next day, it's a little girl whose only crime was being born to a mother who couldn't afford to feed her."

"Why are you telling me this?" he demanded, clearly appalled at such gruesome details. With indifference, Misuzu drained her cup. He got the notion that if not for his presence, she would have just drunk the liquor straight from the bottle, but she refrained from doing so to avoid offending him, which she had done plenty of as it was. Despite the clear traces of anger burning in his cold, midnight eyes, she was still smiling. She still insisted on pouring herself another cup of sake before she continued. She waited until the silence was nearly unbearable, and then she spoke softly, seriously, and in a manner that took even him aback.

"Like it or not, one day, it will come to your doorstep, too. Maybe I just want you to be ready for it." She threw her head back, swallowing the liquor less thoughtlessly than she had. "I've never met Hisana; I've only heard things, but I'm pretty sure I've figured out how her mind works." Misuzu's eyes vanished, and on pure instinct, she forced another serving of sake into her cup. "Hisana doesn't want you to know what Rukongai was like, but I've been there. I can tell you plain how it was, how it still is. She's trying to protect you, I think, because she loves you. That's not the way to do things, though." Here, she paused to take a small sip of the cup's contents. As she drew it away from her lips, a mist entered her violet eyes, speaking of so many painful memories that it nearly made Byakuya breathless. "It's better to know what to expect beforehand. That way, at least you know it's coming. So, sorry if I rained on your parade or shot your little distorted perception of the world and its perfection straight to hell, but it's the truth, and the truth of the matter is lies are only good for protecting yourself."

Byakuya eyed her for a moment, his observation silent and surprised. Then, for the final time, he extended his cup. It may have just been the alcohol, but she may very well have been crying. He never asked; he simply watched as the clear fluid fell into his cup with the same steadiness that her sober hand had produced. "Do you think you can change the world? Is that why you went through all the trouble of becoming a shinigami?"

"You really want to know?" It was a test of his curiosity, plainly; she understood his words perfectly well. She simply wanted to affirm his interest.

"If I did not, would I have asked?"

"Then I shall tell you." She watched the celestial lights dance off of her sake for a moment before downing it. "See that?" Misuzu pointed a finger at the full moon, which could be seen between the branches from where he was sitting.

"The moon?"

"The whole sky, baka," she retorted, tilting the remainder of bottle number two into her cup and withdrawing yet another container of sake. "That's why I became a shinigami." Byakuya thought over it for a moment; only then did he realize that his thought processes were becoming sluggish and clouded. Decisively, he drank the remainder of his sake and set his cup aside to signify that he was finished.

"Perhaps it is the alcohol, but I do not grasp your meaning."

"How much more obviously can I put it?" She tipped the bottle, taking several gulps of its contents before looking back to the raven-haired noble. "There's lights on all the time in Rukongai… houses keep them on to ward off thieves, and hotels keep them so if someone comes in, you'll know who's coming. It's hard to afford, but it's a necessity. So, you can imagine, even excluding the lights from the equation, that with all the danger of a girl walking alone at night in Rukongai, I'd never get to see a sky like this." Whether it was her answer or her alcohol, a terrible throb permeated his ability to think, and he involuntarily raised a hand to his head.

"You are intolerable."

"Maybe I am, but at least I'm grateful for what I've got. No… I don't think I would give this up for anything in the world…"

But she had, after all her predictions had come true. That night was the final night they worked together. At the captain's meetings, neither paid any never mind to the other. Then, there was Byakuya's first taste of sickness and death, one highly potent dose of reality that tore down every wall he had erected around himself. All that remained was his composure, which had carried him through losing the only woman he had ever truly loved. Soon after that, she disappeared into obscurity, leaving behind nothing more than a reputation. "Sousuke-kun," as she called him, was soon elected to take her place, Gin became his vice-captain, and things went on as if she had never been there.

Something hot suddenly tapped against his head, causing him to jolt away from his thoughts. Had it not been for the glasses and the traces of silver, he would have sworn it was Misuzu's phantom. "Gomenasai, Byakuya-sama… it was not my intention to startle you." He blinked for a moment, trying to process her mannerisms and ensuring that the girl before him was indeed no phantom of the past, though she was in some sense a remnant. "You look a little dazed… are you feeling all right?" For some reason, he could only manage a silent nod. Haru's eyes analyzed his movements as he reached out for the cup of tea and gently removed it from her grasp. For a moment, their hands touched, and it was more than enough to ascertain the slight tremble working its way through him. A slightly concerned frown worked its way into her expression; never had his desire to take her in his arms been so overwhelming, but he restrained that desire in its entirety. "Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Hai…" he replied, raising the tea cup to his nose and inhaling the vapors. "I will be fine."

"If you insist." Though Haru's response relinquished any right to further question him on the matter, it was clear by her tone that she did not wholly believe him. Nonetheless, she turned with that same grace which filled all her movements. "I will only be a moment." Byakuya nodded in understanding, his eyes following her as she crossed the room and disappeared through the door of Renji's workspace.

Haru slid the door shut behind her, eyeing the somewhat hostile Renji as he glared first at the paperwork, then at the young woman standing by the door. "Why are you here?" he said again. "Just what are you?" She silently endured the interrogation and controlled any sign of her irritation with a composure that could easily have been Byakuya's own. "What've you got to say?"

"Nothing," she replied, daring to shy away from the door. "Byakuya-sama said you should drink this. It will help the headache."

"I think it'd help more if you left." Haru said nothing; she didn't even look at him. She simply walked forward carrying the tea between her hands. "You've got no right to be here. You're not a member of the division. You're just some girl from the human world who happened to get lucky. I did what Urahara-san told me to… I found you. Doesn't mean I have to like you, or even respect you. So… you stay out of my way. Understand?" She said nothing; her eyes were hidden behind her glasses. The remainder of her expression betrayed some trace of distance she had put between herself and her current position, almost as if her mind was somewhere other than in her body. Silently, she extended the steaming cup of tea between her hands, waiting for him to take it.

For some reason, her stoicism further infuriated Renji. Without a second thought, he shot to his feet, seizing her by the front of her uniform and giving her a fierce jolt. "Say something, will you?" Even then, her eyes evaded his own. The only movement she made was to set the tea on a corner of the desk; after a moment of thought, she pushed it back far enough to avoid the dangers of spilling it. Then, her arm simply hung by her side, ignoring whatever fury would have called it into action. He raised his fist, wavering between the desire to actually lower it and that to probe her into flinching, but she made no move. Haru hung from the hand that held her uniform, her toes touching the ground, her eyes averted, her face set, her shoulders docile and submissive. "You're not even worth the trouble," he added as an afterthought.

It was very seldom that another person's words could threaten Haru's unshakable composure; in fact, there was only one set of words that even came close to coaxing any sigh of her concealed fury into being, and when they were said, there was only a single moment in which she would lose herself; it was plenty of time to put a stop to any actions that may eventually work against her. But those words… it was like pouring cold water on a hot glass bowl. Her arm stirred to life, and in one deft move, she had brought it across his face, shattering the silence with a sharp crack of an open hand against skin. The force of the blow was enough to force Renji to turn his head, unveiling to his attacker the distinct red mark that gave signs of having received just recompense.

Once he recovered from the shock of the blow, he shifted his infuriated gaze back to the girl, but she had already thrown her eyes to some obscure corner of the room. Something in her expression had undoubtedly changed, however. It appeared as if she was biting her lip to restrain whatever words may have followed the blow, and her head, until that point positioned to see what was before her, sunk beneath the weight of her actions. Haru's chin rested against her chest as a hissing breath crept through her clenched teeth. Pure vehemence coursed through her veins, drawing a slight quiver through her shoulders. Considering how surprised Renji was, it greatly eased the task of escaping his grip; she simply seized his wrist and pushed it away with surprising force before turning swiftly towards the door. Yet still, in spite of the potent infuriation stirring in a few unruly traces of her reiatsu, her steps showed no lack of composure. She slid the door open, shutting it behind her with more force than she intended, before she finally allowed the growing weight of melancholy to drag her down.

_Baka… _she told herself. Her surroundings became one muddled blur of color until she blinked, at which point her eyes stung fiercely in spite of having their vision restored. _I know damn well I am not worth the trouble. _Fortunately, the sound of her own name sent her rushing into the arms of composure. She pushed up her glasses, wiping away the remnants of her sorrow, before readjusting her glasses and standing with a resolution to forget that fact, if only for a little while.

A cursory moment of listening was all it took to stir within her the realization that the one who uttered her name was not Byakuya; instead, she peered tentatively through a small crack in the door to his office to see what appeared to be a student standing before his desk, and a familiar looking one at that, though she could not quite recall where she had seen him. He was standing rigidly before the captain's desk, his eyes likely fixed on the floor rather than peering into Byakuya's over his mountain of paperwork. As usual, the captain looked unamused and somewhat irritated at whatever the reason for the young man's presence.

"Why are you still here?" he demanded.

"I need to speak with Tokazawa Miharu, sir."

"As I have already told you, she is busy."

"Kuchiki-taichou…"

"I have heard enough. Kindly leave without wasting any more of my time."

"But sensei told me not to come back until I found her!" Upon realizing he had let control over the tone of his voice slip away, he bowed his head shamefully. Nonetheless, Haru took careful note of his failure to offer any sort of apology. "Onegai, Kuchiki-taichou… I know she's busy, but I only need her for a second. Then, I swear, I'll go."

"I am losing my patience with you, boy." Byakuya rose halfway with his eyes closed before they finally shot open again and fixed themselves on her own. Startled by his gaze, Haru leapt back, making no attempt to remain unnoticed, not that any effort would have helped. For some reason, one foot got caught up in the other; the end result was contact with the floor, which made even more noise and sent pain shooting through her back as she struck the wooden planks.

"Ah… it… itai…" she muttered, forcing herself up with some difficulty. By the time she had, Byakuya was standing in the doorway, gazing down at her with the same cold eyes he had moments earlier fixed on his intruder. Haru stared back, wavering between tears and complete composure before falling wholly into the latter state. "Gomenasai, Byakuya-sama… I seem to have disrupted you."

"Do not let it happen again." Haru nodded her ascent and picked herself up, wincing at the sensation of having her shoulders straightened, which felt strange since she had just untangled herself from having landed in a heap. "That aside, I must ask you if you are injured and how you are acquainted with this boy." Once the second question ended, the captain shifted his eyes to indicate the student directly behind him.

"I don't believe I am injured, or not seriously anyway. I thank you for your concern." Haru paused to bow her head and raise it just as quickly. "As to your second question, I am not sure if or where I have seen this student before… his face looks familiar." She smiled thoughtfully, holding her chin with her right hand as she peered into his brown eyes for any sign of recollection. Her rumination was disrupted when that boy stepped forward, studying her with slight wonder before grinning broadly and resting a heavy hand on top of her head.

"So, you're the Tokazawa-san sensei keeps talking about. He was right; you're pretty cute."

"Nani?" she cried rebelliously, attempting to dodge the hand moving back and forth across her head as if she were some kind of dog. "Who the hell are you? Speak quickly, or I'll crack your skull open."

"Now, now… no need to be hostile, Haru-chan."

"Don't call me that," Haru retorted, gazing helplessly to Byakuya for aid. He seemed mildly perturbed, both at the student's mannerisms and his familiar title. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Asahara Tatsuo. Pleasure's all mine."

"Asahara…" For some reason, at that moment, she recalled an instance from the earlier days of her employment by the Kuchiki heir, a messenger that crept into the room to notify him that a certain kidou instructor was having trouble. Furthermore, she recalled hearing his name at some point during the examination earlier in the week. Sensing the recognition in her gaze, Byakuya returned to his desk, cautioning her with a glance to keep her tone as low as she could in order to avoid disrupting him again. "Souka… you're the young man who caught cold. I hope you are feeling better."

"Much, thanks."

"But what do you want?"

"To thank you, among other things." Haru glanced at Byakuya, who was once again fully immersed in his paperwork.

"Why are you thanking me?"

"You gave my friends an opportunity to get evaluated. It's still pretty rotten I missed it; I would've liked to see Takumi get beaten by a girl, a young girl no less. The look on his face must've been priceless. Anyway, if it wasn't for you, Shimori-sensei would've been at a complete loss, so thanks."

"Do not thank me; thank him." Haru motioned to Byakuya, who peered up at the sudden sensation of being gazed at. "He is the one that chose to recommend me."

"But he left the choice up to you, and that has to count for something." She smiled and nodded her head in agreement, granting Tatsuo that point without a second thought. "Just take the thanks for what it's worth." He patted her on the head again, much to her displeasure. In response to her leer, he quickly supplied words in a gleeful and amused tone. "Gomen, gomen… I just didn't think you'd be this cute."

"I'm telling you to quit it, or I'll crack your damn skull open," Haru retorted, pushing his hand away a second time with a venomous glare.

"Cute and feisty… Hajime was right about you. You really are something else. Come to think of it, he was kind of hoping you'd come by and visit."

"Was he, now?" she inquired.

"Well, it was mainly sensei who wanted to see you for one reason or another, but Tomo said something about a rematch and Shizuka shyly put something in about wanting to see you in uniform, but if you're too busy here, I'll just back and tell them you can't make it…" It was clear from his tone that he was implicitly goading her into asking Byakuya if she could, again, depart from the flooded office and visit them. She studied him for a moment, trying vainly to work up the nerve and find the appropriate wording for her request, but before she could do so, his eyes shot up from the form in his hand. They seemed to read her desire; either that, or he had heard far more than he was letting on. "I think Shimori-sensei said something about wanting to discuss your examination with you, but there's no rush. Just come by at your convenience." Haru's conflicted gaze fell on him before returning to the captain, who was still busy processing the precise nature of her desire. With a heavy sigh, he leaned his cheek against the side of his hand and forced his focus onto the paperwork.

"Go," he said clearly.

"Demo, Byakuya-sama…"

"I have managed more than this by myself on several past occasions. Your presence is a luxury, not a necessity. Besides, I think it rather important that you hear what Shimori has to say regarding your performance. Am I mistaken, Haru-kun?"

"I… iie… of course not…" Having lost all intensions of arguing the point with him, she reluctantly sighed and turned to the visiting student. "Can you give me a moment?" Tatsuo raised a questioning brow but made no complaints; instead, he left the office and shut the door gently behind him. The room seemed so empty with no one else but them in it. Nonetheless, Haru gathered her resolution and crossed it with quiet yet determined steps. He only glanced up from his paperwork when he felt the violet eyes seeking his own. Then and only then did he permit her to gaze at them.

"What is it?"

"I just… wanted to thank you."

"For?"

"For allowing me to remain a guest in your house, for treating me so kindly, for putting up with that troublesome brother of mine…" A half chuckle nearly worked its way through the impermeable stoicism that was Kuchiki Byakuya, but he restrained himself for the sake of hearing what else Haru had to say. "You let me get away with a lot more than you let Abarai-san get away with. I have noticed this because you let me leave the office so often."

"Someone needed to ensure that it would still be standing when I returned."

"Rukia was there; she could have—" Byakuya's clouded gaze fluttered up to her, so dark despite the sufficient lighting that it was nearly blue-black. Discontentedly, he set the brush aside for a moment and rose to his feet, pressing his palms firmly against the surface of his desk. Haru observed them for a moment, taking note of the rather peculiar manner in which he seemed to grip it. _Why… are they trembling? _She forewent the typical protocol of interrogating him, knowing that Byakuya would not concede to provide her with an answer, and set her palm gently against the top of his hand. She smiled at the feeling of his cloudy gaze impaling her. The weight of his problem suddenly dawned upon her, causing her to shake her head slowly in dismay.

When Haru allowed her eyes to rise again, they were full of a seldom seen boldness. Mingling with it was an undeniable pleasure, perhaps at the iota of power she seemed to hold over the stoic captain. "Haru-kun…"

"Perhaps I should not have come. I am doing precisely what you asked me not to do. In the passing days, I seem to have become a distraction. I apolo—" The remainder of her sentence was cut off by the arms encircling her, which clung with sufficient enough force to wring the breath right out of her. "Byakuya-sama… I can't… breathe…" Haru squirmed a bit before finally succumbing to his grasp, nuzzling his shoulder. After a moment, he acquiesced to her silent protests and released her, but before they were parted sufficiently, she lunged forward and captured his lips briefly. From beneath her dark lashes, she watched his face turn red and his gaze darken. Then she pulled away with a smile, that almost continuous display of her purity and innocence. He seemed a bit bewildered by her ministration, which only served as the root of Haru's amusement. "Desire is not the enemy, Byakuya-sama."

For some reason, he was unable to speak, so the captain simply nodded in agreement before returning to his chair and lifted the brush again. Haru set her steps in the direction of the door, knowing full well that Tatsuo had waited long enough. "Haru-kun?" She turned back at his beckon, still smiling, still amused, still fighting the weakness in her knees and the ache of regret welling up in her chest. "Hurry back."

"Hai," she replied, bowing her head and shooting out of the room before she could be delayed any longer. She found Tatsuo waiting, his arms crossed and a look of patience set into his expression. It was only after they had left the sixth division office behind that he gave any indicator of being otherwise.

"Took you long enough."

"I apologize for the wait. Good-byes always take longer than usual for us. After all, I am his responsibility for the moment."

"Responsibility," he echoed in a tone that clearly indicated his dangerous notion. It was gone in an instant, though. "It's not too late to turn back, if this will trouble you."

"Of course not," Haru replied. "Byakuya-sama told me to go, so I'm going."

"And if he told you to jump off a bridge?"

"Why would he do that?" she demanded.

"I don't know… why don't you tell me?" The glint of recognition was in his eyes, that dangerous glint of awareness she had only seen a handful of times. Rukia had it during their brief conversation, and Renji stumbled onto it during the course of the morning. They all seemed to recognize impurity when they saw it, though what was keeping her host unaware was far beyond her mental capabilities. It was only a matter of time, though… a matter of time before he saw it too. Consumed by her own remorse, she paused and raised a disbelieving hand to her lips, ruminating silently over the actions she had taken just prior to her departure.

_It isn't fair… _ A vivid flash of Renji's glare struck her, along with the urge to throw herself off the nearest bridge just to save him the trouble of asking. Even so, it seemed a cowardly way out considering it was just a bit of information… a very significant bit of information, which surely amounted to less than what her insignificant life was worth. Haru was drawn suddenly away from her thoughts by an amiable hand falling against her shoulder. By her own faulty nature, she glanced up, locking eyes momentarily with the somewhat puzzled student before realizing how disgraceful she must have appeared and immediately dropping her eyes.

"Haru-chan…"

"Don't call me that… and don't worry about it. I'm fine; just… not used to the sun in my eyes." She didn't care about hiding anymore, but she did care about doing her best not to worry strangers or anyone else that may have been paying attention. Resolutely, she pushed her glasses up and wiped the tears away, forcing a smile once she had finished that lingered a moment longer than it should have.

"You sure you're all right?"

"Hai." The reply was almost cheerful, missing the real thing by a considerable hair due to its lack of authenticity. Nonetheless, Tatsuo shrugged and accepted Haru's answer, to her relief. Presently, a different sort of smile worked its way across his face, this one more cunning and sly.

"You can't stand being away from him, can you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded, jerking her sword out of her belt to stop his forward movement. Haru could feel the fire in her cheeks, a factor she would have liked to eliminate but could not control. Therefore, she simply dealt with it and continued glaring at the student until he finally provided an answer.

"You don't have to get defensive. I was just kidding. Besides, Takumi said something about him coming to retrieve you from the roof after you kicked his ass. I think it's kind of odd that the victor of the match would stoop to associating with the loser."

"If that were the case, then Byakuya-sama and I would not be on speaking terms." Reluctantly, she lowered her sword to allow the continuance of their little trek. "He has beaten me twice, but recently, I have discovered that I can outdo him in agility if I catch him off guard. It will be interesting to see which one of us comes out on top next time." That same hand collided with the back of her head, gently but with enough force to break the steady rhythm of her steps.

"Man, you've got a pretty big head if you think you can beat Kuchiki-taichou. You must've been holding back with Takumi if you suddenly think you're strong as a captain."

"Sorry to disappoint you," she retorted, ducking to alleviate herself of the extra weight on her cranium. "I was not holding back, but I was injured. It makes a difference, you know."

"What, are you some kind of klutz?"

"I was recovering from senbonzakura, and one incredibly powerful blast of kidou, if you must know." The information itself was surprising, but the casual manner in which she delivered it was even more so. There was nothing in her steps, nor her gaze, nor even in her manner of walking, that implied or indicated the slightest bit of dishonesty. He had no choice but to accept her words, no matter how unbelievable they sounded. "May I ask you about Hajime-san and the others? And Fujiwara-san… how are they doing?"

"Good, as far as I know. Takumi's only remaining wound is the one on his pride. He reminds me a little of a peacock who had his feathers rubbed the wrong way. Shizuka caught my cold, but she's recovering. She came back today. Tomo is… well, she's Tomo. 'You'd better find her, Tatsuo, or I'll kick your ass, so help me!' That's what she told me before I left, so I guess she misses you a little. Hajime wanted to ask you something about some guy who wrote some poem I've never even heard of. I think he said it was about some kind of bird, maybe a crow."

"I can't recollect any poems about a crow. What about the author?"

"I think he might've been Chinese."

"It was Poe," Haru replied. "Despite his appearances, Hajime seems to like the darker eras of literature. Hai, I'm certain it is Poe… and his poem was about a raven, not a crow."

"That so? Well, I'm not much for books, so it doesn't really matter much to me."

"The only thing I can remember about that poem at the moment was its darkness: a man, a mysterious knocking, memories of the dead, and a raven saying 'Nevermore.' Come to think of it, a considerable time has passed since I last read anything by Poe." Around that time, Haru realized she had gotten off the subject, and with a smile, she kindly returned her attention to it. "And Shimori-san? How is he?"

"Gods, that man is fascinated with you for some reason. He acts like he isn't, but in all honesty, I think it's pretty clear, at least to those of us who know him well enough, that he's been dying to see you."

"Is that so?" She lowered herself beside the student and began the task of removing her sandals. A glint of frustration flickered in her eyes, drawing Tatsuo's attention and a silent inquisition as to its precise cause. "This is the precise reason I did not wish to fight. People will start getting interested in my abilities, and after a while, it gets rather troublesome." For some reason, Haru smiled as she said it, almost as if she was pleased with herself. Nonetheless, that irritated glimmer remained after her words faded. _Come to think of it, Soutaichou-sama seemed rather interested in my condition when I went to see him with Byakuya-sama, and despite the fact that I quickly escaped, I believe Ukitake-taichou was, too. Certainly Zaraki-taichou… from what I have heard about him, he does not bother fighting anyone who cannot fight back. Rukia-san, to a certain extent seemed curious, and Abarai-san… _ At the thought of the redhead, Haru checked herself. Considering his vast animosity, it was difficult to tell precisely what he thought or felt regarding her power. She held back an anxious and amused laugh in light of Tatsuo's presence; having released it would have drawn more attention than she would have liked. _To see it breeding already… what will I do when it becomes troublesome?_

"Haru-chan."

"I told you to quit calling me that," she retorted, rising to follow the student as he walked forward. Haru cautioned him with her eyes as well before sighing heavily. "Nandesuka?"

"Now that I've answered your questions, I've got one for you." She was a bit concerned at his sudden interest in whatever matter he wished to ask about. Nevertheless, she withheld her concern until Tatsuo collected his words and presented them to her. "Is it true… that your teacher was Urahara Kisuke?" Bewildered violet eyes permeated the soft brown set of the young man leading her down the hallway. Then, they darkened with a grimness that could only indicate the truth.

"I was hoping people had forgotten about that. It was a foolish lapse of judgment on my part. Then again, he did say…" And the words echoed silently in her mind: "Only do it if it'll make me look good, all right?"Come to think of it, she should probably give Urahara a call if she ever got the chance. Circumstances would not allow it for a long time if the influx of paperwork was anything like it had been that morning. She glanced to the student leading her forward and who seemed to express no interest in knowing the remainder of her sentence.

"Do you still call him sensei?"

"I have to," Haru replied. "For some reason, if I do not, things just don't feel right between us. I only use his full name when he frustrates me, and that is very seldom." The memory of their last conversation forced its way into her mind, drawing an undeniable trace of fire into her cheeks. "Just think about it, Asahara-san… when you graduate, you will habitually continue to call Shimori-san 'sensei,' will you not?"

"I guess so."

"Then you understand my meaning." They reached the door at that precise instant, and Tatsuo motioned to Haru that she be the one to rap against it. She bowed her head in understanding and did as she was expected to do, tapping its surface gently with a steady hand. "Shimori-san? Are you in there?" When no answer came, she looked expectantly back at Tatsuo.

"He said he would be here. Perhaps he left for a moment." It was mysterious, indeed, that Shimori would have left his office after vowing to remain. He didn't seem like the kind of person that would break promises. Resolutely, Haru fought off the trace of apprehension and knocked again, this time slightly louder than before.

"Shimori-san? It's Haru. I've come for a little visit, but Byakuya-sama told me I should hurry back as soon as I can. Is this about my evaluation?" Having received no response a second time, Haru pressed her ear against the door. Her eyes fell shut, and nothing remained but a faint yet easily recognizable sound coming out of the room, an abnormally hard and strained drawing of breaths that served to put her even more ill at ease. It was obvious to her that someone was in the room, though who it was she could not be certain. Mingled with Shimori's typical reiatsu, she imagined, was a trace of something dark, something foul and distinctly not shinigami.

"What's the matter?"

"I don't know." She fought the chills by clenching her jaw and setting her eyes firmly on some random corner of the hallway. Then, with a startlingly grim resolution, Haru rested her hand against the handle. "Shimori-san, please forgive the intrusion. I'm coming in now." And she threw the only blockade to the room aside as the final words of "The Raven" burned themselves into her mind. They surveyed the scene for a moment, neither daring to speak, until Haru began to recite them in a detached voice: "'And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor…'"

"My gods…"

"'And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor…'"

"My gods…" He echoed. Then, Haru turned to him, with eyes frozen like stone, and uttered the final line.

"'Shall be lifted… nevermore.'" As if she were holding her shock in until that moment, she sagged against the doorframe for a moment, her face pale, her eyes wide with terror, her hand trembling uncontrollably, while Tatsuo stood helplessly gazing at the room's contents and the horror housed within. Once she had recovered, Haru dared to glance at it again, and this time, it was not quite so shocking, but it still brought back memories too horrible to describe. _Suzaku…_she said silently, _is this what you were warning me of?_ No response was necessary, however. Haru had already guessed that what lay before her was certainly something Suzaku would caution her of. Her grip on the door's frame tightened as she peered down each branch of the deserted corridor. Then, she turned to Tatsuo again. "Go." He made no indicator of understanding her; his eyes were glazed over with a distinctly animalistic dumbness. He was nothing more than a deer in the headlights, gazing at the very car speeding towards him. "Don't just stand there!" she shouted, giving him a sharp jolt with her tone. "We have no time to waste! Go get help!"

Tatsuo only comprehended a small fraction of her words, but he seemed to gather enough of them to do as he was ordered and bolt in a random direction to fulfill his obligation. It was grimly that Haru turned back to survey the scene a third time, back to the gasping, bloody mess heaped in the middle of the floor with the pleading eyes that showed some clear conception that death was near. The door slid shut behind her, and Haru, having seen such things before, walked forward, unfazed by the growing pool or the sorry condition of the room's sole occupant. His eyes, still keen despite his condition, flickered with recognition as the young girl knelt beside him. It was a great effort to him to move his hand and raise it from the floor, just enough so Haru caught his intention and clasped it between her own, unflinching at the blood that covered it. "To… ka…" He paused to collect the strength necessary to continue. "Haru-sama."

This manner of address caused her great surprise, and for a moment, she was half tempted to lift Suzaku off the floor to strike him over the head, but that would have done no good. It would only have sped his demise. Haru examined him for a moment; in his eyes, there was a clear wish for the confirmation of his theory, which she unwillingly submitted in the form of a solemn nod. "I knew it was you… from the moment I saw you. You're so much like your father…" A sickening cough followed his words, which would have under normal circumstances caused her distress, but they were mutually aware that his fate was already sealed. Therefore, instead of scolding him for wasting his strength, Haru kept her eyes locked on his own. It was the only encouragement she could bear to give him.

"How did you know?" she asked, tightening her hold on the bloody hand between her own. A smile crossed his face, a weak and forlorn smile that spoke volumes above any words he could have spoken. "So… you knew him…"

"It isn't just that. You and I… we are not so different."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…" His words were cut off by another convulsion, this one drawing a thick stream of blood from his lips. Once he had finished, he smiled again, that same sad smile he had given her before. "This blood is like yours. It is only a trace now… dwarfed by the thickness in your own… but it is still there." Haru wavered on the edge of tears for a moment, but she sensibly pushed them away when he spoke again. "I have spent my whole life… tracing your family line… and hoping against… all hope… that the rumor murmured fifteen years ago… was more than just a rumor. Now, here you are… all grown up… your mother's mirror, your father's pride… carrying such a heavy burden… that secret… that heritage…"

"Gomenasai… I should have known, but I did not. This is…" She ran swift eyes over the cuts in his skin and the gaping wound in his chest. "This is all my fault…"

"Iie," he insisted with more strength than she thought him capable of. "That thing may have come… looking for you… but I'm pleased it got me first. That way, at least you know… what it can do." Shimori shut his eyes for a moment, letting his sham of a smile fall away. When he opened them again, they had clouded considerably. "I wish I could have spoken with you more. I wanted to know… everything. Your parents… how they met… their life together… and yours… your happiness… and your pain…" He paused again, peering gravely up at her. "…But I'm running out of time. Listen well, Haru-sama… and allow me to give you my final lesson."

"I would be honored to receive it." Haru shifted her weight a little to avoid the blood creeping towards her. It was bad enough it was on her hands, but such things were trivial at the moment. The man was dying, and she knew from experience that it was better to die with someone there, a virtual stranger with a lost link to oneself, than to die completely alone. Shimori paused to gather his words and the fading fragments of his strength. When he spoke, it was in a serious tone, yet one full of power, authority, and wisdom, almost as if he was delivering a routine lecture to his students.

"There was a time when I could have been great, not as a teacher here, but as a shinigami. I had all the markings of greatness: power, strategy, respect for the rules, grace under fire… when I graduated, people spoke of how I was likely to become a captain one day. Then, it happened… one day, while I was digging through some old heirlooms. I found something odd among them, something utterly unexpected. When my parents refused to answer, I knew some digging had to be done. I spent days in the library without sleeping, pouring over old records of names and genealogies spanning back thousands of years. With that one item and unstoppable perseverance, I came to discover that one sixty-fourth of me was not shinigami at all, that I actually had traces of _their _blood in me." When he referred to "their blood," it was not with contempt at all; nay, it was with nothing more than the utmost pride. Haru smiled to see he still had it, even if it only appeared one sixty-fourth of the time with full potency.

"After combing the records, and re-checking everything, I found that I could not be wrong, that I was precisely what I thought I was. It was like lightening had struck me and torn asunder the fortress of oblivion that had hitherto kept my mind focused on goals of power and prestige. In light of such a discovery, I was forced to re-evaluate every step I had taken on the path to becoming a shinigami. During one such reflection, I happened to recall something a certain teacher said to me once… one that stopped teaching a long time ago in order to become a captain. He said to me that the road to being a shinigami was undoubtedly a promising one, but it was also important to be open to other roads, too… diversions, or unexpected turns. 'There are no fences around the road,' he said, 'so think about where you're going and what you want to do with yourselves.'

"Later on, he mentioned in private that I was promising indeed. 'Yet I regret that you will lose your life in some fight with a hollow when you have so much to teach others,' he added as an afterthought. I saw very little of him after that. Yamamoto-soutaichou had plenty to keep him busy without trifling anymore over a mere student. Almost on impulse, I requested a recommendation letter, which he readily supplied me with, and after undergoing the proper training, I ascended to the fine position of academy instructor. Needless to say, others were not pleased with my decision, but I found myself for the first time in decades content with my current station in life. I had even gotten over the shock of my discovery and embraced it, as I am certain we are prone to do."

Haru nodded in ascent, not as a result of his cue but as a result of her genuine agreement. "I cannot say I was ever ashamed of it, only shocked. Of course, I never told anyone… what trouble it would cause… would you like to know why it would cause trouble?"

"Of course I would," she answered.

"Then follow my point carefully…" Shimori's voice trailed off, but somewhere within the depths of his being, he manifested the strength to keep death at bay for a little longer. "We live in a world of lines, Haru-sama… I know this is true because we have the tendency to reduce everything to lines. There are lines that separate the captains from the vice captains, and the vice captains from the third seats… there are lines separating divisions from each other, there are lines connecting divisions, there are lines on a page, lines in paintings and drawings and kanji… there are lines on the face of the wise, lines separating and connecting them to the young… there are even lines within you. 'The road has no fences,' he said, but even if that is true, society sometimes has a knack of putting fences across the road, which happens to travel in a line. Kids come here thinking I can give them power or knowledge enough to rise to greatness, but that isn't true at all. True power and true greatness comes when one realizes that there are no lines, that we are all fighting for the same thing using powers that differ in form but ultimately function the same way. There are differences between us, but there are no lines. I can honestly say your mother and father understood this quite well. The question is, do you understand, Haru-sama?"

"Hai."

"Then my lesson is complete." She expected him to let go, but he didn't; he held on, grasping her hand with his own trembling fingers. "I hope… you will give Byakuya-sama my regards, and Hajime… and all the others."

"I will, Shimori-san," she answered grimly.

"Haru-sama…" His voice was hardly above a whisper, but Haru's hearing had honed itself to the point of hearing anything in the confines of that room. "Will you please… smile for me?" She acquiesced without argument, and her eyes glimmered with firm resolution that the final smile he saw was a genuine one. They gazed at each other for a moment, she observing as the final traces of life began to fade from his eyes. "One more thing…" he murmured, gesturing with his gaze to the mortal wound. "If it hits you… let it… hit you… twice…"

The last word was a sigh of relief, as if the burden of his duty had been lifted from him. Haru felt his hand, soaked with blood, slide out of her own. It fell softly to the ground at his side, with nothing but silence to follow it. Nothing within dared disturb the emptiness of the room, but without was another story. In a few minutes, the door flew open with a bang, and Tatsuo stood once more in the doorway with several medically trained shinigami. Haru made no move to stir for a moment; she simply remained by Shimori's body, her head bent but a clear smile on her face. Then, with her bloodied hands, she lifted her sword and rose with a heaviness that signaled to them the futility of their efforts.

The shinigami stepped aside to let her pass; only Tatsuo remained immobile, his eyes fixed on the lifeless corpse that had until that moment been his sensei. "Asahara-san…" Her voice was completely empty, devoid of all sympathy, denial, devoid even of the profound sense of loss that seemed to linger in every nook and cranny of the disheveled office. Bewilderedly, he searched for his eyes, which he found were concealed behind the eerie glint of her glasses. Something inside of him spoke of stepping aside, which he did without another moment's delay. Then, she passed, holding her shoulders straight and fixing her eyes forward. "I am sorry," she murmured as she passed. Then, she set her steps to the nearest bathroom to wash the lingering traces of the dead from her hands.

* * *

Yay, a return to Poe… XD Sorry… I couldn't help it. You writers out there should know how it is… there you are, with a set idea for a story in your head, and the minute you start writing it, your characters take control of your mind and completely alter the precise thing you intended to write. That is why Poe is in here; because Haru wanted him in there, plus it kind of worked, what with the "Nevermore" thing and all. Sounds strange, I know, but that's how it is. Please don't call me crazy… I will supply you with a Japanese lesson as a reward for your silence!

Hai : Yes

Kampai : Cheers (I'll be saying that a lot on my birthday this year… 3)

Nani : What

Chotto Matte : Wait a minute

Gomenasai : Formal apology

Daijoubu desu ka : Are you all right

Baka : Idiot

Onegai : Please

Itai : That hurt, it hurts… whichever you prefer… and if I spelled it wrong, please correct me. It's hard to tell the spelling of something in Japanese from English subtitles… forgive me if I'm wrong…

Souka : I see

Gomen : Regular apology

Iie : No

And all quotes in this chapter are from Poe's "The Raven." Google it; I guarantee you success in finding a copy on the internet. So, thank you for suffering through more of my Poe quotes, and I hope the chapter was somewhat enjoyable despite its darkness. Happy trails, all, and I hope to post again soon!


	16. Chapter 16: Acceptance

A/N: Ok, so I know I swore to quit doing Poe references… please don't be angry… but I swear I'll stop… (plots to put Shakespeare in instead) I can't help making allusions to literature. After all, I am an English major, and we English majors like to do that. So please don't hate me for it… I'm not trying to make anyone feel stupid or culture/educate them… I'm just exercising my knowledge of literature in a way that is both practical and (in my opinion) adds an interesting element to the story… even if it just a fanfic. XD

Oh, and I'll be honest… I've had this chapter done for days, and I've been too lazy to post it. Gomenasai! XX' I hope it is to everyone's liking. Enjoy it, please! Or at least try… XP

* * *

_Chapter 16: Acceptance_

The only sound in the room was the ticking clock and the quiet sobs of one student. Its atmosphere, clouded with disbelief, was the last place any typical shinigami would have chosen for the sake of entering a meditative state, but Haru was nothing of the sort. No, she could not join them in mourning, as much as losing herself in a lengthy, grievous bout of tears would have helped. Instead, she simply sat in an unobtrusive corner, her hands folded in her lap, her eyes opened just far enough to perceive Hajime trying to comfort Shizuka. Tatsuo had gone to retrieve the more animated member of their upper class, though Hajime reasonably attempted to dissuade him from doing so. He was still pale with shock, and the girl was bound to be far more boisterous in light of the dark news she had yet to discover.

Every now and then, Hajime would throw a gaze to Haru, but she took no special notice of him. She simply sat with her steady hands, now clean of Shimori's blood, folded in her lap, her sword propped against her shoulder, and her eyes lingering somewhere between a half open and completely closed state. What struck him most about the whole situation was her unshakable composure. What she had witnessed, much less what she had experienced and what she had heard, by no means stirred her from that composure but instead pushed her farther into the placidity that bordered on subzero coldness. The metal piece at the top of her sword winked as she stirred slightly, then settled again. _No, _she thought, allowing her eyes to fall shut. _I cannot mourn with them… not yet. It seems all the comfort I can offer them is my presence._

Indeed, it seemed to help stabilize Hajime despite the situation. His typical smile was consumed by a grim, set expression that walked the fine line between a semi-state of contentment and hysteria. "Hajime-san," she said suddenly, drawing his dreary blue gaze. "I ask that you forgive my present state. It would be more appropriate to cry, would it not? But I cannot, I will not. Not until…" She stayed her words before she spoke any further. _That look in his eyes, when he died… did he know I would intend to see this done after he passed? Is that why he gave me that cryptic warning? "If it hits you, let it hit you twice." What is that supposed to mean? The grief, or something else? What exactly am I supposed to be looking for? _

At that precise moment, the door flew open and half scattered her composure. In stormed Tatsuko Tomo with her eyes downcast, an unreadable face, and a flurry of tears that startled Haru for an instant. Then, she remembered what it meant for them, and she immediately settled back into her composure. Tatsuo was behind her, out of breath and still looking rather weak from having witnessed the bloody, lifeless corpse of his sensei. His gasping was like the ticking of the clock: rhythmic in an almost hypnotizing sense. She began to concentrate, to sink deeper into that nothingness she always summoned within her mind at times when she needed an extra ounce of power, but Tomo would not allow her the luxury of completely arriving there.

"What the hell…" she managed, wavering on the edge of hysteria. Haru detected the eyes locked on her and gazed passively back. "What the hell do you mean he's dead? Explain yourself! You had something to do with this, didn't you? Didn't you?" Tatsuo made a grab for her, but it was too late. Tomo was already moving forward with surprising stability. "You're like a plague… some kind of poisonous flower. Everyone you touch admires and fears you at the same time, and eventually, you victimize them by taking something precious away!"

"Tomo-chan, that's…" Tatsuo began. Haru set her jaw as she was heaved off the floor and shoved against the wall by the trembling hands that had a grasp of her uniform.

"Nande?" she demanded. "Why is he dead? Why are you still alive? Why did you take him away? That man burned with respect for you! Can't you see that?"

"Tomo, that's enough," Tatsuo said, this time more firmly, but she continued despite that.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself? Are you so far gone that you've forgotten to cry? What the hell kind of person wouldn't cry after something like that? You saw him die, didn't you? His blood is on your hands!"

"Concentrate." The word startled her into silence, fortunately for Haru. She spoke for herself, of course, for now that her back had hit the wall, she felt the beginnings of a very sharp pain rising in her shoulder blades, and she had no desire to do something she would regret later. "His blood is not on my hands anymore; I cleaned it off. The stain on my skin is gone, but the stain on my memories… that will be more difficult to rectify."

"Are you saying you want to forget?"

"I'm saying I need to concentrate, and I can do so far better without you throwing me around." Her words burned with an underlying threat that nearly frightened Tomo back to her senses, but she clung to insanity as a baby monkey clings to its mother. She jerked the shinigami forward before shoving her back against the wall a second time. Other than a slight and temporary change in Haru's breathing pattern, she showed no sign of being fazed by the rough treatment.

"A man just died, damn it! A man just died! And all you can do is say you want to concentrate?"

"Would I be doing so if it did not serve some practical purpose?" With Tomo so close, it was impossible to avoid any sort of blow she decided to deal, as Haru quickly learned. Less than half an instant later, she was lying on the ground, her head spinning from the sheer power behind the fist that had made contact with the left side of her face. When she dared to open her eyes, she could only see an indistinguishable haze of things resembling colors, blotted out by countless spots. She heard steps fall across the floor and a brief struggle; one shadow in her line of vision was attempting to restrain the other, while the other two looked helplessly on. There were words spoken, very foul words, curses of the most violent and heated kind, and then she too succumbed to an uncontrollable wave of sobs. A difficult sigh was followed by words in a voice still stricken with fear yet still reasonable enough to produce coherent sentences.

"I apologize for her rashness."

"There is no need." Calmly, Haru picked herself up and touched her face. Upon it was a bruise that would no doubt hurt far more later than it did at the moment. _Sooner or later, _she thought, eyeing Tomo thoughtfully. _Yes… sooner or later, this wall of distance will come crashing down, and I will be reduced to the same sorry state. But not yet, not while that thing is still out there. _After retrieving her glasses, she set her mind to concentrating again, this time with more success than the others. Once she eliminated all conception of the external and abolished any sentiments that may have distracted her, she made her self comfy in the emptiness and began to seriously ponder.

_There is no doubt in my mind that Shimori's last words serve as a clue to help me in battle, likely some trick my enemy will play against me. Also, I do not doubt his guessing the purpose I would come to; one half, one sixty-fourth… what do the numbers matter? The only relevant number at the moment is one: there is one arrancar here, and that one arrancar, instead of targeting me directly, has chosen a more covert tactic for defeating me. If Aizen's purpose in implementing this tactic is anything remotely close to my one surmise, I will… _ But there was no room in that emptiness for vengeful thoughts; only reasonable, logical ones. An inward sigh echoed on the empty walls of her self-imposed darkness, and she returned to the task at hand.

_It was this way with Otousan, too, and Okasan… instead of killing me, he simply took my power away by driving me either to unreasonable grief or unreasonable hatred. Reason… reason is the key, madness the enemy. _There was a part of her that cried out in rebellion, a very small part. A trace of fear permeated her empty surroundings, a trace of something among all the nothingness. _I know this state is terrifying, both to them and to me, but I must use it to my advantage while I still have the time. If I break, I will never find that thing… now… where are you hiding? _A thin golden speck of light appeared somewhere in that darkness, growing to a small ring whose boundary expanded and separated the nothing within from the nothing without. It rippled across the unending emptiness until it vanished, and then another followed.

_So much reiatsu… _she thought, willing another ring into existence with each name that passed through her mind. _Umari-san is here, now… with Tatsuo and the others. I can't sense Reiko-san or Toshio-san… that must mean his kidou class does not meet today. Byakuya-sama is there, too… coming closer… and Abarai-san, as well. They must have been informed by one of Umari-san's students. I can feel them… wait… no… _Another ring, this one a pale shade of blue, pulsed through her surroundings, followed swiftly by another. _Fujiwara-san is… not here. Then… where could he be?_

Dimly, she heard the door slide open, yet she persisted in her hunt. _I cannot sense him… just how far away is he? _Haru fixed her entire being on finding it, and at last, a dim conception of his existence crept into her mind, though without an entirely clear location, drawing a wave of relief over her. The latest blue ring became slightly unstable, but it continued expanding once she recognized her momentary lapse of concentration. _It is no use… that thing is cloaking its reiatsu. Kuso… kuso…_

"How long has she been sitting like that?" It was Byakuya who had spoken, in a tone that demanded above all else rapid, abrupt answers that contained no extra words.

"Since before I came in," came Umari's reply. "I've been trying to figure out what she's doing, but… I'm afraid my guess is as good as yours." He nodded as he considered it, examining the girl's brows, drawn together in intense concentration, with curious eyes. He felt a sudden chill pass through him, though he gave no sign of it. Somewhere nearby, someone was firing highly intense yet very brief waves of reiatsu, and what was more, that reiatsu was continually changing frequency.

"The hell is that?" Renji demanded when it became slightly stronger. Though he had not yet fully recovered from his headache, the absence of a hoard of paperwork was more than enough to put him in a slightly better mood. "There it is again!" he exclaimed. "It feels different somehow…"

_No… not yet,_ Haru thought resolutely. _I mustn't lose focus yet… I mustn't give up. I can only shift my reiatsu once more; then, I will be at my limit, but if I can find it… if I can find it… _ Her mind checked itself. _No… I will not allow Byakuya-sama to put himself in harm's way on account of my existence. This matter is one I must handle on my own. Kuso… I am out of options. I have no choice. Suzaku…_

_I am here, Haru-sama. _And in the darkness, she appeared in front of Haru's eyes, a majestic red bird with clever azure eyes and a gold stripe running down the length of her enormously long tail. It was a strange thing to see oneself in a self-created darkness, yet there she was in a white kimono, reaching out an inviting hand to the bird, who gladly ascended onto her wrist. The grasp was gentle, the feathers soft beneath her touch. "Haru-sama… it has been a while since we have met face to face."

"Indeed, it has," Haru said, managing a smile that felt criminal under the circumstances. "You no doubt know the situation."

"I do… it is tragic."

"Then you understand the danger in what action I desire to take." The bewildered avian tilted her head, her eagle-like pupils shrinking for a moment.

"Are you sure… that it's rational?"

"It must be, if I can consider the matter here. But before I take any action, I need to find it."

"And you would like me to ease the pain of the final shift to the best of my ability."

"You know me too well." They were silent for a moment. Haru shifted her feet, turning as the bird's talons clung loosely to her arm, almost like the crimson avian was nothing more unusual than a tamed hawk. "It is not that I cannot bear pain; you certainly know this well enough. What I mean to do is make matters less troublesome. If I didn't find the brute, I would have no direction, and if I made the shift without asking for your aid, I would be in too much pain to pursue it."

"Are you certain?"

"Of course…"

"As you wish, Haru-sama." And with that, the bird disengaged.

"One more thing," she called, causing it to turn back momentarily. "Expect to use the third form… before the day is over."

"Hai…" Then, there was all but nothingness left; she was alone in her mind with no semblance of a physical form and no contact with her zanpakutoh. _My success is riding on this… I pray it does not ultimately lead to failure. _Something different stirred in the darkness, this time in a crimson color, and instead of leaving the emptiness undisturbed, it consumed that never-ending black as it extended, replacing it with a brilliant, indistinguishable white. Her endurance was not quite strong enough; already, she could feel the searing pain. Still, she searched, but in vain as, all of a sudden, she became aware of the unbearable agony creeping along the flesh of her back and the heavy feeling of descending until her face fell against the floor. Agonized breaths tore past her lips as she writhed beneath her own discomfort. She heard several people call out her name, one of whom dropped down beside her, blocking her light and drawing a gentle gust of wind across her bruised cheek.

When she opened her eyes, the room seemed dark compared to where she had been. Haru found her right arm had wound around her waist, as if trying to protect her stomach from any blow that may have come. "Damn… you could have eased it a little more," she said through her teeth, attempting to force herself off the floor, but she was prevented from doing so by two factors, the first being her own disorientation, the second a gentle hand that forced her back into a laying position. Her head found something soft, and there it remained until Haru could make sense of up and down again. She made no effort to force the hand racing along her temple, across the curve of her jawbone, and pushing the hair out of her eyes. With a startling suddenness, she found herself impaled by the two midnight blue flashes lingering just above her. Haru made a move to rise, but he refused to allow it. He simply set a more than heavy hand on her shoulder and forced her to remain.

There was silence for a moment. She could feel the eyes of observers, but they were too distant to be relevant, even if they were all standing in the same room. "Will you live?" The question was more of a demand _to _live if anything. Nonetheless, she quickly supplied a response.

"I don't know." A trace of discontent flickered across his gaze, but it quickly slid back behind the stoic wall blocking her from pinpointing his exact emotions.

"What brought it on?"

"I did."

"How?" A sham of a smile spread across her expression.

"You know damn well how, Kuchiki Byakuya." She was allowed to rise this time for the sake of upholding appearances. They were members of the same house at the moment; outside of that, they were merely coworkers and nothing more, thrust together by some horrid turn of fate and the momentary dread of hearing that name, her real name, in the middle of a crosswalk on a Tuesday afternoon before the storm broke. Like all good things, it would come to an end, and they would each return to their lives. His momentary recognition of her would fade away, as would her own acknowledgement of the man behind the mask. Yet somehow, that end didn't matter at the moment. In light of recalling her dismal fate, Haru lifted her glasses from the floor and readjusted them on her nose, grateful that they were still in one peace despite their rough treatment. "It is simple enough to understand."

"Then make me understand," he replied.

"Gods, you're troublesome. You are either pretending to be ignorant just to make a fool of me, or you are in some sort of memory lapse, or you are genuinely oblivious, in which case I will return the piece of advice you so courteously delivered me on my first day here: 'You would do well to be more attentive.'" In any other circumstance, the Kuchiki would have taken offense to such an onslaught, yet they were only words to him. They had nothing attached to them: no heat, no pain save the lingering traces of physical discomfort, no joy, no sarcasm. Just like her eyes, they were completely empty. "Shouldn't you be doing paperwork?"

"Emergencies are a little more important."

"But there is nothing you can do," she replied. "He is already dead." The surprise was clear on his face; apparently, that was the one bit of information no one had told him. Haru's eyes left him; she couldn't bear to see his failure to remain completely composed in light of the matter. "I am afraid… that I am the cause of this, when it comes down to things."

"Haru—" The empty eyes rose again, this time full of a faint and boundless sorrow. They were the same eyes that told him to listen without interrupting. She looked away again, bowing her head at just the right angle to draw a shield of reflected light between her gaze and the world. Then, in a solemn, distant voice, she continued.

"I don't… I don't know what I am anymore. The line is so distorted, so far gone… or perhaps it was never there in the first place. Shimori-san certainly seemed to think it wasn't." She spent a moment in silence, possibly due to the perceivable wave of angst-ridden sorrow that heaved itself through the room, or, more likely, out of respect for the deceased. Whatever the reason, hastened its passage by speaking again. "Lies are only good for protecting yourself, right? Your ideals, your connections… and guilt… it's a heavy price to pay. Well, what if the truth is just as painful as the lie, or worse still… what if the lie has been around for so long that it has taken up the guise of truth and is beyond perceiving as unconvincing because, in the minds of those who don't know any better, it can't possibly be a lie?"

"What… are you saying, Haru?"

"There is no line, if a lie is the truth," she said thoughtfully. "But a lie can never be the truth unless there exist people who clearly recall the genuine truth. Even then, a convincing lie takes work to dethrone. It will not be easy, making you understand…" Haru glanced up at him again; her eyes were grim, as grim as they were on her first night in Seireitei. All the color had run out of them, and the silver clashed violently with the reddish-purple mark on the side of her face. "So I will put myself in the hands of fate, and if it is brave enough to continue troubling itself with my existence, then I have no choice but to tell you everything. Otherwise, the only truth you will know, the only truth you will continue to believe, is the one I have left behind." She seemed to have reached some sort of resolution, and in picking up her sword, the manner of her movements changed from empty to determined. "I know it is not right of me to ask you a favor, in light of what little I have revealed to you. However, I find it necessary to do so, if only for the sake of simplifying things."

For some reason, Byakuya was entirely ill at ease, a direct result of her enigmatic, contradictory words. He finally managed to rise so he was looking down into her eyes instead of up, and once he had, he found it was much more difficult to get lost in them. "I need you to give me an order."

"An order?" he echoed incredulously.

"Hai, an order, in regards to Shimori-san's executioner. Place the matter of hunting it down and killing it in my hands, keep this new development quiet for a few hours to provide me with ample time, and I swear to you, I will never ask you another favor as long as I live."

"Haru-kun, I cannot in good conscience—"

"Do not be foolish, Byakuya-sama," she interrupted. "I am the only one that is capable of finding it. Destroying it is another matter, but I will manage."

"If you are unsure of your abilities, then I cannot let you go."

"You still do not understand." Something like sorrow pushed its way into her eyes, but it was gone the instant it came alive. "I doubt you ever could, even if I explained it to you." She moved to pass, but her arm was seized in an instant in a grip slightly harder than Byakuya intended to use. "I cannot be dissuaded, if that is your intention."

"Why are you avoiding it?"

"Because justifying my existence is a little less important than killing that thing before it strikes again."

"Then let someone accompany you." Haru knew perfectly well the implication; she was fortunate enough to see it coming. Having already formulated a legitimate response, she delivered it in the same empty tone.

"I have already watched one man die for me today. I refuse to watch another. Please… just let me go." It was the first time Byakuya heard a genuine desire to leave in her voice, one so subtle and so dead that it almost killed him to recognize it. It was almost as if she was truly saying, "I don't need you." Nonetheless, the captain dolefully obeyed, and her arm slipped out of his grip. He hated being denied the privilege of her presence and her cooperation. Perhaps it was that slim trace of anger that spurned his utterance of a response.

"Haru-kun." She had just reached the door but respectfully stopped at his beckon. Her eyes were fixed on the road ahead of her, but she still felt the cold sapphires piercing her very being as they found her shoulders. A weak pang of pain raced through her back, not even enough of one to draw an outward sign, but she knew it was the result of his animosity. "If you leave now, do not come back. I will not allow it." For some reason, even if they were bitter, the words made her smile.

"I never intended to," she murmured. Saying farewell would be too much; it would likely drag her out of that trans-like state, but being the obstinate and determined girl she was, Haru clung to it as her only support. As if to affirm her determination to those she left in complete disbelief, she set her left foot in the hallway, then her right. Then with a gentle motion, she slowly closed the door behind her, turning a violet eye towards him at the last moment. "I thank you for your hospitality, Kuchiki Byakuya. I'm glad… that I will not live to forget it."

As soon as they vanished from view, a pair of feet raced down the hall, leaving those who still occupied the room in complete and utter amazement. No one dared to speak for a moment, since the sixth division captain seemed rather flustered over one matter or another. "You aren't going after her, taichou?" Renji asked.

"Why should I?"

"Because if you don't, I think they're liable to." Renji nodded his head towards the four upper-level students, who had come to a silent agreement on the correct course of action. With a shaking hand, Tomo wiped away the last of her tears and set her expression as firmly as the rest of them. The momentary blame was gone, replaced with slight dislike for the manner in which the Kuchiki insisted on handling the situation. "You want me to go?"

"You will return to the office with me immediately."

"What about Shimori-san?"

"I will send a message to Genryuusai-dono that the thirteen divisions should take caution lest it strikes again."

"Like hell you are." The rebellious comment came from Shizuka, which was rather surprising considering how quiet she usually was.

"Shi-chan…"

"No, Tatsuo-senpai… I will be heard." A boldness of a different brand rose to meet the cold distaste in the captain's eyes. "I may have only fought with Haru for a day, but I can tell you with certainty one thing: she has a different sort of pride than yours or mine, or even Shimori-sensei's. The kind of pride she has is one only she can defend because none of us can ever fully grasp it. As contradictory as it sounds, I think whatever lie she was referring to may be to protect that pride, or to make it seem like some other sort of pride… but does that really matter? We all know we can trust Tokazawa-san, but we also seem to be unconsciously aware that her battles are her own. The same goes for all of us, when all is said and done. Could you let her fight your battles for you, Kuchiki-taichou?" He said nothing; he simply continued gazing at the girl with indifferent eyes. "If you can't understand that, you have no right to the luxury of her presence."

Surprisingly, she did not linger to witness the fruits of her bold words. She simply turned, pushed the door open, crossed the threshold, and shot a glance to the others that ordered them to follow. Naturally, they did, for none of them wished to remain long enough to see what an angry Kuchiki Byakuya was like. "I ask you to forgive them, Kuchiki-sama," Umari sighed once they were gone. "They are rather upset at this… this tragedy. If there is anything I can do…"

"Tell me, Umari… why did you let them go?" She was silent for a time, wringing her hands anxiously as she attempted to produce an answer. "Why would you let them follow a girl who obviously wants to die alone?"

"Because they are—were Shimori-san's students. They have a right to put a foot forward in his defense, if you ask me. Besides…" Her voice trailed off, and her eyes grew critical. "Left alone to her own devices, the gods only know what sort of destruction that girl is capable of." He stood still for a few moments, ruminating over what had been said, before he cast his eyes back at Renji as a silent command to follow him. The redhead's expression soured at the prospect of returning to that paperwork with a hollow of sorts traipsing around Seireitei as if it owned the place.

"Taichou, should I have someone deliver the message to Yamamoto-soutaichou?"

"Not yet."

"Nani?" Renji cried in disbelief, quivering as his embittered captain whirled around.

"Very well, then… since you seem to be so set against it, I will place the matter in your hands. If you believe it best to involve the entirety of Seireitei in this, then by all means do so, but if somewhere inside you, there lurks one single ounce of respect for that girl's pride, a shred of pity, a trace of curiosity, one fleeting iota of faith in her abilities, then I suggest you delay the report. It is what I would do if I were in control of the situation." Byakuya halted as he noted the redhead's steps were no longer following his own. He was standing a few meters back, looking rather startled over the sudden control he had been given. Still, the captain retained his stoic composure even as he turned away. "Come along, Renji," he ordered. "Those forms are not going to sign themselves…"

(Insert scene change indicator of your choice here... for some reason, the asterisks keep going away, and it won't let me put just a random blank space. CURSE THEM! End Interlude.)

Speed was the key at that point in time, speed and strategy. Haru mused over both as she raced along Seireitei via rooftops, if only for the sole sake of avoiding any unwanted collisions. Unconscious of her own breathing and the heaviness in her limbs, she ignored all else but one thing: her direction, and whether or not it was leading her closer to her target. _Did you even sense it, Haru-sama?_

_Regretfully, no, _she responded, flinching as a wave of pain raced through her back. _But I thought it through; clearly, Fujiwara-san is after it, too. Perhaps he ran into Asahara-san in the hallway. How he learned is irrelevant; what matters is that I find him._

_I thought your target was that hollow._

_If I find Fujiwara-san, I'm bound to find that hollow._

_What makes you so sure?_

_I don't know… woman's intuition. _Haru leapt down from the roof she had been on and landed in a crouch. Only then did she realize how out of breath she was. Still, she only broke her pace for a moment before she was off again, flashing along the ground with astounding speed, weaving her way around the street's occupants, passing as nothing more than a gust of wind or, if one was lucky, a brief flicker of violet eyes. _Ever since I first saw him, I knew he was the impulsive type, though as far as I know, he has no reason to go after such a creature. Wait… perhaps he does… perhaps… he wants to make up for losing against me._

With a decisive leap, she left the ground again, perching on a high roof and surveying her surroundings critically. _It is possible, _Suzaku replied after a time. _At any rate, I will let you focus on your task. I am sorry you had to suffer._

_Please… my pain threshold is extremely high. It takes more than overdoing it to force me into despair. Although… _ She recalled quite clearly the cold look on Byakuya's face when she had turned to give him a farewell glance. _He seemed rather offended… for some reason. I can't even die knowing he will be happy. _A faint sense of Takumi's reiatsu disrupted her thoughts and drew her gaze in its respective direction. _If it is following him, at least he was smart enough to get it where there were no people…_

Haru turned in that direction, her violet eyes full of dangerous cunning. After another moment's hesitation, she flashed away, setting every step towards tracking the rash young student down and ordering him to return at once to the academy. He was in sight now, just below her. Surprised to see him walking casually, she perched herself on top of the roof and gazed downward. He gave no sign of sensing her presence but continued along while, unbeknownst to him, Haru walked at his side and several feet above his head. Suddenly, he stopped walking, almost as if he heard her steps, but after glancing behind him and finding nothing, he scratched his head.

For some reason, his bewilderment amused her, even in that dark state of distance. "I know you're there!" Takumi shouted, apparently to nothing and no one at all. "Show yourself!" Haru remained where she was, gazing down on him for a moment before a sharp pain shot through her back, a reminder that she was to maintain focus at all times. A hiss of pain must have escaped her lips, for without the slightest bit of hesitation or doubt, Takumi threw his icy gaze to the roof, where Haru stood looking down upon him as if she were the dead. A tremor built within his frame, kept at bay only through rigorous efforts. He could almost feel the pain and sorrow she kept dammed behind those lifeless eyes. Then, recalling his own purpose, he closed a hostile hand around the hilt of his sword. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be off following that keeper of yours or something?"

"He is not my keeper," she responded, leaping gracefully down to his eye level. "I could ask the same of you, Fujiwara-san… this is an odd place to be taking a walk." He could tell the girl had already guessed his purpose for being there, and with one swift movement, he removed his katana from its sheath. Haru glanced at is as if it posed no threat, nor did she seem to care if he put it to use on her or not. Upon seeing it was useless, Takumi lowered his sword. Suddenly, his eyes took on quite a different light, and he spoke in a tone somewhat similar to that he used when demanding her surrender, though this time, it lacked all the condescension.

"What happened?"

"You know what happened," she replied.

"I wasn't talking about Shimori. I was talking about Byakuya." It was a blatant disrespect of his authority, but Haru, having no reason to care of such things, carried on as if it had been nothing more than a routine mistake.

"I am not sure what you mean."

"Well, something happened; otherwise, you would be with him."

"I wanted to leave, so he let me go. Besides, this is a matter I should really be taking care of myself." Takumi's expression grew quizzical, but his eyes continued rebelling against the implicit wish that he vacate the premises. "What happened today… it was my fault. He got too close to a truth even Aizen is afraid of. That is the simple fact of the matter. That is why I am telling you to return to the academy, not because I think you are useless in battle, but because I cannot be troubled with having another man dying for me."

"Yeah, well that's just too damn bad. I don't plan on dying."

"Fujiwara-san, do not be rash…" For the third time that day, she was taken by the front of her uniform and dragged to eye level. Her feet hung limply beneath her, not even making an effort to seek the ground as the irritated student held her just above it.

"You're not the one who's dead, damn it. At least show some emotion."

"At this point in time, emotion would have no practical use. Therefore, I choose not to feel."

"What the hell are you?" he demanded, shaking her viciously. "Choosing not to feel? That's as good as being dead. You're not some noble who has to act unfeeling…"

"But I am," Haru interrupted, startling the boy almost to the point that he released her. "Tokazawa Misuzu was my mother, and the only thing she left me with was a handful of memories, a power that greatly resembled her own, and a name. She gave me the name because she knew that, if I ever came to soul society, I could not use my father's name and expect to get far. That is why… that is why I have lied about my existence, so I could have a chance at being something." She was vaguely aware that her feet touched the ground, but despite the weight of gravity, she continued speaking. "You think you worked hard to get what you have? Just imagine what sort of hell I went through. I live under a false name just so I can get from day to day without being pestered or looked down on. I am thankful for just waking up in the morning, knowing that for one more night, I was Tokazawa Miharu. That name is a barrier that wards off a danger far greater than Aizen could ever pose to me… the danger of betrayal, of being feared."

"I don't get you," he said, pushing her away. "What does any of that have to do with showing emotion? Yeah, you may be a little different, but you're still not dead." Somewhere in her, those words touched something, a nerve or what little feeling she had left. A trace of life rose in her eyes only to be swallowed up again. After what she had seen, she knew that feeling anything would pose great danger to her composure, which was necessary if she was to defeat that… "He threw you out, didn't he?"

"He did no such thing," she answered, sounding angrier than she intended. To her surprise, he grinned and put a hand on top of her head.

"Want me to beat him up for you? I'll kick his ass."

"That is not necessary."

"Fine, fine… only because you told me not to. But if you need a place to stay, I'm sure Mari'll be more than happy to let you stay with us." A glint of recognition pierced the empty haze in her eyes, and she shamefully bowed her head.

"Would I… not be intruding?"

"What're you talking about?" he asked.

"Well… that is to say… Tomo-san said… you and Hajime-san… were arguing over her." An amused laugh escaped him, his eyes glinting devilishly as he grinned broadly at her clear frustration. "What… is so funny?"

"You are, that's what! Yeah, Hajime and I got in a fight over Mari, but she's my older sister. He wanted to take her out, and, well… I couldn't let that happen. Even little brothers can get protective sometimes." Startled, Haru glanced up at him and immediately found that grin to be contagious. For some reason, even in her immense joy, her eyes stung with bitter tears that fell when she blinked. She bowed her head beneath the weight of his hand, shivering at the sound of them descending to the pavement. "Hey, now… quit crying… you'll make me feel bad."

"Gomen… it's just…" She was still smiling when she looked up. "Thank you… for your kindness, Fujiwara-san." He couldn't help but feel sympathy for her, as she hovered so close to losing herself in those tears, but he was only allowed to relish that vulnerable side of Haru for a moment. Beneath his hand, he felt tension pass through her, and with a startling force, she shoved him aside before vaulting into the air. A large, whip-like appendage cut through the air and threw up a thick cloud of dust. It drew away as the creature itself descended, a large, insect-like thing that vaguely resembled a scorpion. He couldn't help but tremble at the horrible cry it let forth when it through its masked head into the air.

The tail snapped forward again, and he found just enough composure to dodge it. Then, Takumi took the offensive, swiping at the thing with his sword, but its flesh was like armor that was impossible to puncture. He found himself throw helplessly into the ground, which he struck with a force that caused a cry of pain to tear through the air. "Curse you for getting in the way, boy!" He watched as the sharp hooked end of the tail shot towards him again with the sole purpose of delivering a mortal blow.

_Haru-sama… what are you doing? _Suzaku cried as she freed herself from the rubble and bolted forward. _It's too fast! You can't…_

_A kindness received is a kindness due, _she replied. It took some quick footwork, but Haru managed to beat the beast to its prey. She kicked him aside with the same unbelievable force she had initially pushed him with, but with such a small window of escape, there was no hope of getting away. It caught her left shoulder with surprising force, almost like a bullet that stung far worse than it should have. Haru swallowed her cry of pain and summoned her composure, raising her head to look at the arrancar with some difficulty. From her right hand hung the useless sword, still sheathed, and it remained sheathed even when she realized her blood was spilling onto the ground.

"Little nuisance…" it snarled, snapping its tail and thrusting her against a wall. Still, Haru bit back any verbal indicator of her agony, which was growing by the moment. Only a gasp managed to pass her lips, and even that was barely loud enough to hear. "You have something to say?" demanded the arrancar once it felt the violet eyes burning into the mask. When she remained silent, it forced her harder against the wall, cracking the stone and (she feared) at least one of her ribs, but the force drew no words from her, nothing but a slight verbal wince. "You're going to die, you know… you'd better say it if you want to."

Haru's eyes pushed against the mask. _Kuso… I cannot see straight… I'm getting dizzy from… the blood loss. I can't… _ She felt the thing pull her away from the wall, and with a vicious force, fling her into the air. Before she even struck the ground, she lost consciousness, knowing full well that she likely would not wake up again. Despite that, Haru suddenly found herself hearing Shimori's dying words in her ears. _If it gets you, let it get you twice… what does it mean? _Realizing the distance between her and consciousness was widening, Haru heaved an inward sigh of defeat. _What does it matter? I can't fight… not like this… _

There were innumerable sensations flooding her body, all indistinguishable on account of her condition. She imagined being borne away on broken wings, heard in her mind the voices of the dead calling her. Then, she remembered she already was dead, and a strange thought occurred to her: just what happened to shinigami when they died? Well, she was going to find out, if not now, then certainly someday. A sensation of reiatsu rippled through her empty _If you leave now, do not come back. I will not allow it. _Those words scattered every strain of fiber tethering her to the void, and with his name on her lips, she suddenly found herself looking up at the pale blue sky.

"Byakuya-sama…"

"Oy, Haji! I think she's coming to!" She shifted her eyes to the speaker, a vague shape that she somehow managed to recognize despite the haziness of her sight.

"Asahara…san?" He managed a sham of a smile. "But… how?"

"Takumi carried you here."

"Souka…" Reality came back rather quickly after that. She was laying on her back on the pavement while Tatsuo observed her grimly. He had become a little more cheery at her return to consciousness. By some miracle, her glasses were unbroken and resting on her face, glinting beneath the rays of the sun. Suzaku was nearby as well, sealed but unharmed. There was another presence as well, and only when she tilted her head, which was quite a feat considering the amount of pain she was in, did she spot Tomo watching her too, in near tears no less. "Tomo…san."

"Gomen," she said, bowing her head. "Gomenasai… what I said…"

"Don't…" Haru's strength failed her, and her sentence was left unfinished, especially as Hajime joined them. He assessed the damage with calm eyes before extending a hand and holding it over her wound. A dim glow appeared around it, teal in color, and very pale. She eyed it questioningly, until the pain began to drift out of her wound. She allowed them to fall shut for a moment; who knew how long she closed herself off from the world. Then, she remembered Takumi. She tried to speak his name, but her words for some reason failed her. She was beginning to feel distant again, and her entire body felt numb except for the pain. _What… is this? Why do I feel so heavy, so weak? _Haru's eyes moved to her hand. She attempted to twitch her fingers, curl them into a ball, anything, but they refused to move. _Kuso… it's poison…_

"I suggest you reserve your strength. Once we can move you safely, I'm going to take you to the fourth division. Unohana-taichou is bound to have an antidote somewhere. Then, once you're better…"

"Takumi," she said resolutely. "Where is Takumi?" They were startled at her strength.

"I'll go get him," Tatsuo replied, rising to his feet and pacing casually away. She let her eyes fall shut again and parted her lips to breathe as she focused all her energy on the capability of motion.

"Why… do I feel a released zanpakutoh?"

"Probably because I released mine," Hajime responded, drawing the incredulous violet gaze to him. Only then did she notice the sheath was empty, and the zanpakutoh itself was sticking out of the ground a short distance away. Its sheath was elegant and teal, and tied to the hilt was a single white feather. The blade was surprisingly straight but in a manner that was not at all rigid. In fact, Haru noted as she further examined the sword, the guard supported two blades spaced roughly one centimeter apart, each parallel, so that, when sticking out of the ground as it did, it looked similar to a crane's legs. "Shouhekitsuru is its name. It is the only zanpakutoh that specializes in barriers. This one is called kagami no kabe. It is an enclosure of space that is invisible from both without and within; it reflects the occupied surroundings, minus those contained within its space. As far as I know, there has never been a zanpakutoh specializing in defensive tactics. Combined with my kidou skills, I could be a formidable opponent. However…" His eyes grew misty, almost as if they were being swept away into the fog of memory. "Unohana-taichou has already resolved that, if and when I graduate, I will be placed in the fourth division. I would accept nothing less. It was my objective when I entered the academy."

"Sou… souka," she managed. "Then I am truly happy for you, Hajime-san." Despite the weakness flooding her limbs, Haru beamed up at him, then returned her attention to her current dilemma. _It's no use… I can't… _But then, his shadow was over her. Haru glanced up into the frighteningly cold eyes blazing down into her own. He knelt beside Tomo, who shuffled away with dislike and would have interrogated Haru about her desire had she not been as she was.

"How you feeling?"

"I've been better, I've been worse." He laughed nervously, evading her gaze in favor of examining the texture of the pavement. "Do not blame yourself. I chose to save you."

"But it was my recklessness that…"

"Takumi," she interrupted, her tone grave. Then, to his surprise, she managed a slight laugh. "You remind me so much of Abarai-san. You're stubborn, hard-headed, strong… and you above all others see the flaws I see in myself, even when I vainly try to hide them. Yet you do not take that gift seriously. You still insist on answering my beckon." His eyes demanded to know why he shouldn't have, but he was given no time to answer. Haru quickly gathered her resolution and decisively forced herself into a sitting position, signaling to Hajime with her gaze that she was grateful for her services.

"But it isn't healed yet…"

"It matters not. I am poisoned, and I am afraid I do not have much time left. That is why…" A trace of the old determination entered her eyes. Being surrounded with students only fed the fire. "That is why I will make the most of what strength remains in me. Fujiwara-san, I must ask a favor of you, if you can manage it." Under that intense resolution, he could not muster a negative answer, so he simply nodded his head, accepting whatever task he was being given. How surprised he was when she began to struggle with her hakama, peeling it away from her wounded arm, sliding it down her aching back, until she thrust the restrictive garment off and it fell into a heap at her side.

"Ch… chotto matte! Just what are you going to do?" Tomo demanded. Resolutely, her right hand wandered up, pulling the tie in her hair free. She carefully extracted the gold ribbon from the black fabric that had until that moment enveloped her hair. The whole time, Takumi's eyes never left her. They rushed over her pale shoulders, widened at the size of the blood stain on her white kimono, grazed along her neck to the locks of nutmeg hair that had spilt forth. Never had he seen someone look so vulnerable, so free, and so determined all at once. Haru extended her right hand, which clutched the ribbon firmly.

"Tear it into three pieces, and tie them around my left arm: one at the wrist, one at the elbow, one at the shoulder."

"What will that achieve?" It was Shizuka, who was returning with Tatsuo. "There is no beating that thing. We saw it, just a little while ago. It is getting close; I think it can feel us now."

"Then kagami no kabe is failing… I must have expended too much reiatsu." Now that he mentioned it, Haru did see a bit more paleness on his skin than she normally did, and his clear blue eyes were clouded with effort. Despite Shizuka's question of the practicality of Haru's suggestion, however, Takumi had already gone about the task wordlessly and obediently, his motions full of nothing but the utmost trust.

"If it finds us, we're all done for," Tatsuo stated bluntly. "I doubt any of us could stand up to it, and in this condition, I doubt Haru-chan could, either." Yet that determination in her eyes never shrank once. Indeed, with each passing moment, it seemed to grow more brilliant. He could see the plan in her eyes. "Oh, no… you aren't going anywhere."

"You cannot stop me," Haru replied.

"No more than you can fight with your arm messed up! And think of all the blood you've lost!"

"Tomo is right," Hajime interrupted. "You can't fight like that. It's suicide. We can't…"

"If that's what she wants, then let her go." Takumi tied the strip of ribbon at her shoulder, tightening the knot to an almost painful level before knotting it again.

"How can you just say that? You really are an asshole, you know? Letting a girl walk off to her death… you'd make a lousy boyfriend."

"It's not like that." Something in his tone drew Haru's eyes. They were heavy with guilt, but they still held that dangerous glint in them, in spite of their situation. "She has her pride, and that's reason enough for me not to want to stop her."

"You don't get it, do you? She's going to die! Do you honestly want that?"

"Did you ever hear me say I did?" he said coldly. Seeing the others look at him so spitefully, he sighed and raised a hand to his head. "What other choice do we have, given our circumstances? I know she's got enough power left in her to take that bastard down. It's not a question of faith; it's a question of knowing. I can look at her and see the life in her eyes. She won't die until she's done what she's set out to do, and that means killing Shimori's murderer."

"Well said, Fujiwara-san," she responded. "You should really read more… you know, expand your vocabulary. If you did, I do believe you would rival the eloquence of a noble."

"I'll leave the nobility stuff to you, all right, Haru-sama?"

"Damn it, if you start calling me that, I'll crack your skull open, no doubt about it." But her window of opportunity was shrinking, and quickly. She felt it drawing near, as well as Takumi did. Their eyes darkened in silent understanding, and with one swift movement, Haru had pushed herself to her feet. When she staggered, Takumi instinctively put an arm out to stop her fall, but she remained standing. Once she steadied her breathing and pushed the pain into the back of her mind, she addressed them in a firm voice that demanded absolute adherence. "Hajime-san, about how much longer will this barrier hold?"

"A few minutes, five at the most."

"Good… that is all I will need." Haru drew another breath, gazed about the circle of students, and understood immediately their immense trepidation. It was the price they paid for following her. Nevertheless, despite that callous thought, she knew she could not put them in harm's way. To say farewell to them was like cutting her only lifeline, but he _had _told her not to bother coming back. With that purpose obliterated, she was given only one reason to live. "All right… here's what is going to happen. Hajime-san, in a moment, you will feel a shift in my reiatsu, and not like the ones you felt back at the academy. This one will be far stronger and far more extreme. When you do, you will drop the barrier, you will take the others, and you will run."

"But Haru—"

"Silence," she interrupted, glancing at the argumentative Tomo. She gave Haru a quarrelsome and obstinate glare before dropping her gaze and succumbing to the order. "I will give you two minutes to get as far away as you can, and you had better make it far. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee your safety."

"What are you going to do?" Shizuka asked.

"You don't need to worry about that," she replied, smiling determinedly. "That was two minutes. I will need every bit of the other three; it takes me a moment to initiate the technique which I am about to implement, so please let me do so without interruption. You tell no one of this, and I mean no one, understand? It will be troublesome enough telling Byakuya-sama as it is without having to justify myself to Soutaichou-sama and the thirteen divisions." They were given no other choice. Already, her eyes had fallen shut, her zanpakutoh was tucked by her right hip, and her arms were outstretched as if reaching for some invisible thing.

"Do you really think this is going to work?" Tomo whispered.

"Shut up and watch," Takumi stated. "Something tells me we're about to see something amazing." The rhythmic pulsing of the strong reiatsu was comforting, but at the same time very dangerous.

"You know, kagami no kabe may reflect the appearance of the outside surroundings, but it doesn't contain reiatsu beyond the most basic level." He could say nothing more, nor could he bear to doubt Haru. Another drop of blood hit the ground, driving her brows closer together as she raced through various lower stages of concentration to arrive at the one she sought. With that thing's reiatsu coming closer, it was difficult to concentrate.

_Otousan… _It was a silent call to the dead, and though Haru knew he was physically incapable of aiding her, the memory was more than enough. _In the past, I have taken what you gave me for granted. I have hated it, I have feared it, I have rejected it. I know I was not the most grateful child in the world, not when you threw your life away saving me, and certainly not after you died. But in this moment… that power is the one I need. Please… if it is here in me… if one iota of that power still exists in my veins, then I choose to accept it. Not just today. Tomorrow. And the next day. For as long as I draw breath, I will acknowledge it as a part of me._

A strange force compelled her to open her eyes, glazed over with such a ridiculous amount of concentration that it served to frighten even the unshakable Takumi. All at once, a bluish-white glow erupted around her, the shift in reiatsu they were waiting for, and Hajime decisively removed his sword from the ground. "Hurry along, now!" he said parentally. "We don't want to be here when that thing finds her."

"Why not?" Shizuka inquired, planting her feet firmly. "That reiatsu is so… strange and beautiful." The next thing she knew, the ground was below her, and she was hanging uselessly over Takumi's shoulder. "What… put me down!" She squirmed helplessly in his grip, beating his back with her fists when he refused to acknowledge her.

"Urusai, baka," he retorted, turning to glance at her once last time. "As strange and beautiful as it may be, it isn't reiatsu. We should go now while we still have the chance."

"For once, I agree with you," Tomo responded, seizing Haru's discarded haori before racing off. Haru felt them leave, and a wave of relief mingled with her determination. Then, the glow spread out into individual threads that clung to the ribbon wrapped around her wrist. Slowly, she raised her arm so it was level with her shoulders, gritting her teeth against the unpleasant and odd sensation. Her eyes opened, and the remaining light dispersed, yet behind her glasses, there remained that burning determination.

All that was left was to wait; Haru knew it would come, and it did after a few moments. The beast looked down on her with murder burning in its crimson eyes, hidden by the mask it insisted on keeping. "You're still alive?"

"And kicking," Haru added, wrapping her hand around the handle of her zanpakutoh.

"What do you expect to do with that little wooden sword of yours?"

"Little…" she echoed, cutting through the air with her left arm. "I intend to do nothing as of yet. If you wish to see my zanpakutoh so bad, you shall have to prove yourself." Haru aimed her left palm at the creature, her eyes hardening in determination. Then, she uttered with a calmness that made even the buildings quake a bit, "Hadou no sanjyuusan: soukatsui!" The pale fire cut through the air rapidly, but it was easily knocked aside by one of its claws. She couldn't fight the surprise that pierced her determination momentarily, which she quickly regained once the thing made a counterattack. Using shunpo, she sailed through the air and attempted to slash its body, but it was to no avail. Its skin was thick like armor; there was no penetrating it.

One of the arrancar's lesser limbs caught her and flung her farther into the air. _Cero… _she thought, gripping her sword. _Let us test my theory, then… _ She pulled it from her belt as the destructive beam of crimson raced towards her, and once her faith was placed entirely in the sword, she rose it so the blade was parallel with her body. Then, there came that feeling, that oddly contradictory feeling, and the stroke fell. The golden mist engulfed the attack, whirled about as if flowing slowly, and then, both reiatsu and cero disappeared. _So, it is a form that allows me to neutralize my attack… strange that I can use it before shikai. I will ask her to explain it later…_

"What?"

"Hai karano joushou, Sukazu." Haru watched the guard materialize, the wooden hilt crumble and give way to a more katana-like crimson one, the silver hoop turn gold, and the white ribbon fluttering in the wind turn red from base to tip. Startled, her opponent whirled about to strike her sword with its pincer, but she sliced right through it before the strike even fell, drawing from the creature a bone-chilling cry of agony. Once her foot hit the ground, she whirled to face it again. "Do you know who I am? Do you know what you are fighting? Or is Aizen still keeping it a secret in Hueco Mundo?"

"You… you little demon child!" The tail came at her again, and she evaded. For once, the thing actually decided to put some effort into killing her. Strike after strike fell, yet she danced around every one with the same grace she exercised just days before against Takumi. Her back was sore, her ribs definitely cracked, her arm screaming out in pain, but just the same, she stayed as composed as if she had just begun fighting. "Stand still, damn you!" She changed tactics, shooting forward with immense speed and cutting the air countless times with her sword. Once she was out of range, she rested her hand against the golden rings near the hilt and uttered, "Dai ni keitai: kagehi."

A shriek cut through the air as flames sprung up around every wound she had created. It writhed and flailed about, drawing the life of some surrounding structures to an end, and Haru could not help but thank the heavens that there were none close enough to be killed. When it stopped, she turned back, her eyes flickering dangerously. "I would not recommend underestimating me if I were you. Kagehi is far more formidable than the first form; it is thus named because it follows in the shadow of any cut my blade makes." A smile spread across her face, innocent yet determined. "I just made eight cuts. How many did you see?"

"Damn you!" Haru sailed around the following attack and returned to dodging. It would take a while to build her reiatsu up enough to unleash it. All the time, she watched the sinister harpoon that stabbed at the ground until she took to the air. It sailed towards her like a whip, but she dodged it, and when her feet touched the roof, she managed to dodge it again. "It doesn't matter… it doesn't matter," it said. "No matter how many times you dodge, you'll still be killed by the poison!" Wicked laughter spilled forth to fill the silence, and as Haru hovered for a moment above another roof, the meaning of Shimori's words dawned upon her.

_Souka… souka! _She landed in a crouch, rushing forward this time instead of backwards, vaulting towards it with determination. At the last moment, she vanished from sight, leaving behind only a slight trail of blood that the creature did not seem to notice. The stinger left a stinging wound on her right forearm, an irrelevant scratch that burned and then tingled numbly. _Suzaku… are you ready?_

_Haru-sama, I must insist that you abort! It is too much for your body to handle!_

_I'm still breathing, aren't I?_

_But… the poison…_

_Don't worry about it… just get ready. _She made the fall look more difficult than it really was, though she was beginning to notice the heaviness in her limbs again. Breaths tore past her lips, weary and laborious breaths, but she had no time to comprehend her own exhaustion. It was coming towards her again. She leapt away, covering her eyes as a piece of debris caught her temple and knocked her glasses off. With her left hand, she seized them and thrust them within her kimono, taking care to land at the very edge of the roof she was currently occupying.

"Looks like you're all out of room." It hissed in pleasure as its tail ascended, catching a beam of sunlight and glinting mortally. "Aizen-sama will be most pleased to hear of your passing."

"I'll let him know how much of a nuisance you were when he comes down here to kill me himself." That smile was back, that irritating and undeniably arrogant smile that held every trace of nobility she possessed. Her stance became relaxed as she tilted her sword so it, too, was embraced by the fading day. "And I thought the first one was a pain in the ass… you're a pain and a half in the ass, and what's more, you're twice as ugly."

"Nani?" it demanded fiercely.

"If looks could kill, my heart would have stopped beating a long time ago. You're just that repulsive." Haru delivered her insults as she did everything else, with a dignified air of pride and grace that no enemy could ever hope to crush.

"Burn in hell, you little half-breed!" In one split instant, the girl was crushed by the deadly tail, and a premature triumphant laughter filled the air. And just as quickly, the arrancar's victory was taken away. A figure shot through the dust, sailing through the air purposefully before flashing away again. Once she was directly above her opponent, Haru placed her feet against the air, and using her own reiatsu, she augmented her downward speed, helped along also by gravity.

"Saishuuteki na keitai," she muttered, her reiatsu surging around her, turning from gold to crimson. "Shinseinahi!" Once the word left her lips, the blade sung through the air, casting down two streams of red flame that twirled about in a cyclic dance of death. The force then exploded upward in the form of a pillar, shaking the ground and the very foundations of Soul Society. Somewhere in the distance, Haru knew, Takumi and the others took notice, and even farther still, Byakuya, who had until that very moment been working diligently on his paperwork, paused as that unbelievably strong reiatsu surged forth. They twirled about for some time before they gradually fanned out and took the form of what appeared to be a giant bird with spread wings. What was left of the pillar appeared to be its tail. To add to the effect, there was a strange tune drifting through the air, mournful yet with a distinctly beautiful musical quality.

At Haru's silent command, the fire scattered into tiny embers, leaving no traces of there having ever been fire save the scorch marks. When at last they were entirely gone, she was surprised to find that the creature was still standing, still sputtering and shrieking as if engulfed in the fires of hell. Haru stood a short distance away, her eyes locked on her target. "Impossible! Impossible! The irony! Your victory comes at a price! You will outlive me by only a few moments! I know my venom will kill you fast!"

"Not so," Haru replied calmly, her arms trembling beneath the weight of her zanpakutoh. She supported the sword with her right arm, turning the blade so the cut on her forearm was visible. "It got me twice. That is your trick, isn't it? If you strike your opponent once with that venom, it is lethal, but twice makes that same poison the antidote. That is what he meant when he said, 'If it gets you, let it get you twice.' So, though you triumphed over Shimori-san and managed to take his life, you can die knowing that, from beyond the grave, he has helped me defeat you."

"You… abomination!" The final word barely escaped before its entire body disintegrated into dust and turned to ashes that were swept away on the wind. Until that moment, Haru's focus was placed entirely upon her battle, but once that focus was gone, the heart of the matter came rushing back. Glancing down, she realized her left arm was almost covered in blood. The wound on her right was still dripping blood, as were several lacerations from various pieces of debris, one of which had caught her under the eye. Her head was throbbing from being thrown around so much, and her back was in absolute agony. She felt something twist inside of her with every breath, and something that should not have shifted did.

_I must have broken a rib… _she thought grimly. _Or… maybe two… it is too soon to tell… _ Haru's eyes wandered to her shadow, tainted with the crimson spilling out of her wounds. Vaguely, she became aware that her knees were trembling, and then the awareness that her battle was complete permeated her assessment of her current condition. The buildings around her were broken and cracked, scorched black by her final attack, but all the heat had gone the instant Haru cut of her final attack. Slowly, her eyes met the blade of her zanpakutoh. The gold bands were fading to gray, the blade was lightening to its usual shade of silver. Something shattered in the stillness and drew her attention to the guard. It had broken completely down, the wood had rematerialized around the hilt, and the ribbon faded from red to white. _It is… truly…_

The remainder of her thought never came. All at once, her strength gave out, and she allowed her eyes to fall shut. The fall seemed to take forever, an eternity of plummeting into a void even she could not climb out of. But at the last moment, just before she dropped out of consciousness, she imagined the feeling of hanging just above the ground, held above it by some unperceived and indistinguishable arms as her knee found the pavement. A gust of wind swept past her, but a dark figure shielded her from it. Beyond the jagged outline of ruin, the sun was beginning to set, providing her with a strange sense of comfort that eventually destroyed any further effort to make sense of things and drug her heavy eyes to their closure.

_Still, _she thought, her words rippling in the darkness. _I wish I could have told him… _ But it was no good wishing. By the time the desire fully surfaced, the words ran together, forming one complete mass of nonsense that had no meaning. It fell gracefully, like a black feather, until it too became indistinguishable from the colorless void, broken only by the gentle echo of some obscure line from a poem whose name was beyond her. _Nevermore… _whispered the empty, motionless air. _Nevermore…_ That word faded, taking with it the final traces of warmth and perception. Then, there came complete and utter relief from her pain, a heavy darkness which no light could work its way through.

* * *

Another ungodly long chapter… I really need to quit writing. XD G-ah… fellow fanfiction writers: you ever get to the end of a chapter and really not feel like translating stuff? That's my mode at the moment, but I'll do so for the sake of clarification, since there are some things in here that need clarified. First, the usual Japanese lesson! Aren't you excited?

Nande: Why

Kuso: A Japanese swear word… hooray for foreign swears!

Nani: What

Souka: I see

Gomen, Gomenasai: Both apologies, the latter more formal than the former (try saying that ten times fast!)

Chotto Matte: Wait a second/minute/short time interval of sorts

Not as much Japanese as I thought… now time for the explaining part.

A refresher course on Haru's zanpakutoh: If you recall decades ago when she sparred with Byakuya, her zanpakutoh's name is Suzaku, it is summoned with the command "Hai karano joushou" (Rise from the ashes), and it is a fire-type. It has three attack forms, the first of which (omate han, first form) is shinsenhi (soul fire), the second of which (dai ni keitai, second form) is kagehi (shadow fire), and finally, there is the final form (which I kept a secret, saishuuteki na keitai), shinseinahi (holy fire). There is also a neutralizing form that I will reveal more about later that can be activated prior to the shikai's release. (Hey, I never said I'd explain everything…)

A note on Hajime's zanpakutoh: I'm sure you're all getting confused with all these bloody OCs and their developing characters, but Hajime was just too fun to let go. (I swear, you won't see much more of him since he's getting shipped off to the fourth division). His zanpakutoh's name is Shouhekitsuru, which translates to barrier crane (IT JUST SOUNDED SO COOL!!) It is the only zanpakutoh in Soul Society that specializes in defensive maneuvers (because the show is totally lacking them… at least I think so… XD). Kagami no kabe translates to mirror wall, in case you were wondering.

And that's all I have for you. Sorry to take up so much of your extra time… hope you enjoyed it, and stand by for the next chapter, because you finally get to learn all about Haru's faja! How do I know? Because it's already written and sitting on my hard drive. It's no fun if I don't get to humanely torture my readers just a little bit… XD Thanks a bunch for reading!


	17. Chapter 17: History

A/N: Greetings, my adoring fans! Mass apologies on the delay. I wound up completely rewriting the chapter because the old version was too predictable (kuso!!). Additionally, I deemed this a perfect opportunity to try out some modernist devices, such as layering and fragmentation, since I just covered it in American Lit. I promise I didn't make it nearly as confusing as Pynchon did, but I did refrain from using the annoying three asterisks (which, for some reason, refrain from showing up even when I do use them... -.-) since I changed scenes several times in a subsection of the subsection of a chapter. It's the one everybody has been waiting for... you keep poking me and begging me for answers on Haru's past, so I readily provided all the answers you need for the moment.

To verify my delay: I gave blood, did heavy lifting, got a big- bruise on my arm, learned my student loan is not going to increase in the fall as I anticipated (SOB!), wrote two of my three term papers over the weekend (and started the third today... huzzah!), cussed about the gas prices, called a friend who's moving, and found out (here's the biggie) that all four pieces I submitted to the college literary magazine were accepted for publication!! ...and then found out my parents really didn't care. (SOB! again) It's been a busy week... and I'm now officially reading on the side. That summer reading list isn't going to read itself. XD

So, I finally wrote a chapter under 10,000 words. I win! Hasn't happened since... well, it happened a couple times at the beginning. :3 This is the one you've all been waiting for (at least, I think it is... O.o). I truly hope it was worth the wait! Oh, and by the way, if I do anything cliche in the romantic sense, I give you all permission to smite me. Cliches can burn in HELL!! Ok, I sort of did one in here, but it wasn't the focal point, so it's ok... I think... erm... -calls the cliche police- At any rate, mas kudos again to all my adoring fans, especially FlameHazel, who is drawing me a loverly picture of Haru as we speak. I have seen the rough sketch... it is amazing beyond all reason. 0.0 I can't wait until it's done... but I must be patient. Thanks again, Flamy-chan! And everyone else, too... your reviews feed my ego and raise my spirits! I honestly wouldn't have gone on this long if you weren't so darn persistent (in a good way)! Arigato-gonzaimasu to all!!

And now, ze chaptier...

* * *

_Chapter 17: History_

There was nothing to be done save to wait, to wait and wonder exactly how he got stuck with taking care of that troublesome girl, looking so vulnerable in her drug-induced unconsciousness, breathing softly and with a definite rhythm that hovered close to normal. Once, she stirred, parted her lips, and spoke an incoherent name, but other than that, she hadn't moved since Unohana sedated her. Her observer clenched a fist; to see her like that was painful, even if it was a little gratifying. Perhaps that was what bothered him about Haru; she never looked defenseless, showed no weakness in form. She even seemed to possess the ability to see behind her when blocking a strike, to read her enemy's movements before he even formulated them. But more than anything else, he hated her for escaping death, because he knew in the bottom of his heart that he, and likely his captain, were quite incapable of doing what she had done.

He wasn't the only one waiting, though. Other than her breathing, the only sound to focus on was the tread of footsteps in the room downstairs. Its even pace was unbreakable by any force, even one of catastrophic magnitude. Then, it suddenly stopped of its source's accord. Frustrated, the girl threw her hands up in the air. "Damn it, how much longer is it going to take?" Shizuka, standing in a corner devoid of light, glanced up from her folded hands, whereas Tatsuo simply gazed up at his brazen classmate. Hajime and Takumi, the former sitting with his head bent in thought, the latter in the window sill with his eyes cast at the distance, both flinched at the sudden disruption of their musings.

"Be patient," Tatsuo replied calmly. "I'm sure it'll be soon."

"We've been here for three hours! The news can't be good!" She was on the brink of tears, either at the recollection of Shimori's lack of life or at the less certain fate of Haru. Unable to return to his thoughts, Hajime glanced up, his clear eyes unusually clouded.

"I never thought I'd say this," he muttered, "but can you be a little more like Takumi?" A disgusted scoff was the only response, pushing said student deeper into his own internal strife. He had felt the vast surge of reiatsu that caused a break in their steps, noted the all too obvious shift, watched in awe as a pillar of flame rose skyward and bloomed into the shape of a phoenix before vanishing. They had all seen that; what set him apart was the fact that he noticed something peculiar about that final shift, something none of the others seemed to be aware of. "At least he's taking it—"

"She's not dead," he said with great conviction, though his eyes and his voice were both dismal. They were shocked to hear him speak; after all, he had been the one that dared to return empty handed after turning back to retrieve what was left of Haru. "She's not dead," he repeated, and slowly turned his gaze back to the horizon.

"Like I'd ever want to be like him."

"Now, Tomo-chan, he has to have some redeeming qualities. After all, he did initially save Haru-chan from her demise, even if he fled like a coward afterwards." Knowing he touched a nerve, Tatsuo crossed his arms and glanced to the enraged Takumi, but he never let the arrow fly. He simply clenched a fist and looked to Hajime, who, while uninterested in defending his ex-comrade, seemed to acknowledge his awareness and possibly share it. Just when he let his guard down, Tatsuo continued, rising from his seat and bee lining across the floor. "But then, coldhearted Fujiwara Takumi left poor little Haru-chan to her fate without so much as a glance over his shoulder until he felt her unheard dying cry pull at his heartstrings."

"She's not dead," he repeated, this time more firmly than before.

"Oh, to think the scene that would have befallen his sheltered eyes had he actually found what he was looking for when he turned back…"

"I said she's not dead!" The words tore from him louder than he originally intended, making him sound so much like himself that they honestly doubted for a moment he was troubled by anything that had happened. "I was following orders," Takumi added in a quieter tone. "Would you have stood between her and her pride? She would have killed you for it, or I would've done it and saved her the trouble."

"What makes you think you can decide who lives and dies?" Tomo demanded. "You think you're God or something? Then fix this whole damn day and make it so it never happened."

"Tomo-senpai, please… he's upset…"

"He's got no right to it," she answered, her voice quavering. "Not in light of what we… what we…" Ashamed of her own tears, Tomo turned briskly away, holding in what she could and wiping away what refused to remain hidden. She composed herself briskly, turning back to glare at the figure in the window, who seemed occupied with her reaction yet more so with his own musings. "We're trees without roots," she finished, using one of Shimori's old adages, and deeming the conversation finished, Tomo fell back into her rhythmic pacing until, just moments after doing so, the door slid open. "How is she?" Tomo demanded immediately, but was disappointed to find that the shadow of another captain lurked in the doorway. Her shame caused her to throw her gaze at the floor, a startling reaction that paled in comparison to Takumi's own. Immediately, his eyes sharpened, his fist curled into a ball, and as he abandoned his post at the windowsill, he slammed it against the wall with enough force to split at least one of his knuckles.

"Takumi-senpai…" Shizuka murmured.

"You…" he breathed, bowing his head so his eyes were hidden. The word was meant for the figure in the doorway, whose cold eyes scanned the room without showing so much as a trace of emotion. "You bastard…"

It was unmistakable, now… the newest presence in the room below him definitely belonged to Byakuya. Despite the almost overbearing reiatsu, Haru made no reactions. She simply remained as she was, stationary other than the steady rise and fall of her chest. Her hair was spread out on the pillow, her lips parted slightly to ease the process of breathing, her forehead wrapped in bandages that were intended to keep her temple from bleeding anymore than it had. It was a wonder he'd gotten her there without waking her, but when the time came to treat her wounds, she came to rather quickly… and knocked the wind out of the fourth division member trying to treat them. Having no other choice, he immediately stepped in, seizing her shoulders as her hands grasped the empty air as if to divine something; upon finding nothing, Haru closed them into fists and lashed out. Fortune saved him from a black eye, but fortune could never save him from Byakuya.

"I'll bet he's here to lecture me," Renji retorted, sighing heavily. She was still peacefully enveloped by sleep's hands, away from the consciousness that so tormented her… no thanks to Unohana. She was retrieved rather quickly after Haru's sudden resistance, which was doing her far more harm than good. As gently as she could, the captain reassured the frightened, startled, injured girl in a firm tone while trying to get close enough to sedate Haru, who seemed very much aware of the fact. Her violet eyes flashed wildly from behind her glasses, which seemed to be the only thing on her that wasn't broken. A fresh trickle of blood ran from the wound in her left shoulder from the exertion she put forth in fighting off her medic.

"Listen to me," Unohana murmured. "We're going to help you. We're going to dress your wounds. Do you understand?" There was hardly an ounce of coherence in those wild violet eyes, which locked on the speaker and threw forth venom of unfathomable potency. Weak and desperate, Haru could only watch and clutch her arm as Unohana drew closer. "I have something for you to take. It will ease the pain…"

"You think a pill is the answer?" she responded, turning away obstinately. "Let me die. Just let me die. I have nothing to go back to." A difficulty like no other overcame Unohana in that moment, one that Renji was completely unfamiliar with.

"I cannot comply, not just because my job is to heal you, but also because this young man went through a lot of trouble to bring you here." Then, the eyes were on him, penetrating him to the very core. They softened after a moment, and, seeing the two blue capsules in Unohana's hand, lifted them between her own fingers and complied without further resistance. But trouble was only the beginning of it. Leaving the office without permission, evading the completion of his paperwork, disobeying orders… all to save a girl his captain seemed to take special interest in.

"Do it yourself next time, taichou," Renji muttered, resting his elbow on his knee and his chin in his open hand.

A trickle of blood ran down the wall from the wound in Takumi's hand, still resting firmly against the structure. His eyes, until that point hidden, now appeared. They were a mixture of innumerable things, and none of them were benevolent, friendly, or appropriate to show a superior of such high ranking as Kuchiki Byakuya. He showed no surprise at having been so rudely addressed; only the same arrogant air of insult that bore with it the promise of eventual recompense. "You've got no right… no right to be here."

"Oh?" replied the Kuchiki. "I go where I please. Nobles are capable of exercising that sort of power."

"So, it's power is it? I suppose that gives you the right to break her heart?"

"I did no such thing."

"The hell you didn't!" Takumi shouted, drawing back to strike the wall again but refraining for the sake of not hurting his hand worse than he already had. "That girl… she really sees something in you. Hell if I know what it is; it's none of my business, but when you turn her out when all she wants is to be by your side, then… then it becomes my business. I know the look; I've seen it before. Haru-sama…" He raised a brow at his formal manner of addressing her. "Haru-sama… she'd do anything for you in a heartbeat, but it doesn't mean a damn thing to you, does it? Well, why the hell not? Is she not good enough for you? Are you scared of her leaving, of what she may be capable of? Are you scared of what she is?"

He was speaking such bold words that no one else dared speak. To Renji, it was just one long chain of sound, disrupted only by periodic pauses and the muffled answers of his captain. A heavy sigh escaped him, mainly to fill the silent void of boredom that lingered. He glanced to the pair of glasses on the nightstand, their lenses shimmering as they were caught by the sun's setting light. Akin to their gleam was that of the seemingly harmless wooden zanpakutoh, its square metal hoop flickering as it moved slowly despite the absence of wind. "Kuchiki-taichou'll probably kick my ass for saving you." There was, of course, no response; Haru was in the throes of a drug-induced sleep. She would not be speaking for some time. "It's funny… I'm always going through trouble like this. First, it was Rukia. Now, it's you. You, some girl I don't even know who stumbled into Soul Society and into his heart." Silence followed, but he conceived some sign of doubt in the air. "You think I'm lying? You should see the way he looks at you sometimes…"

The stillness was sickening to Renji, who wavered constantly between a state of boredom and trepidation. He must have entered a moment of deep recollection. A familiar sting burned across his skin, the sweep of a thousand blades… but he was drawn back by a sudden change in her breathing. Then, she began to move…

"Byakuya-sama, I was not expecting you this evening." It was rather fortunate Unohana chose that moment to appear. Though he tried his best to hide his anger, it was impossible to mask the distinct change in his eyes, which had grown as cold and black as two dead coals waiting to ignite. Shizuka stirred uncomfortably as Tatsuo prepared to restrain the clearly furious Takumi.

"How is she?" Tomo demanded, unable to restrain herself any longer.

"My, my… your friends are a rowdy bunch, Hajime-san."

"How is she?"

"With all do respect, Unohana-taichou, I would also like to know how she is." Hajime bowed slightly as he made the request, half expecting her to uphold the utmost confidentiality and give him no answer at all. Instead, she walked forward to address her students, glancing at the sixth division captain as she passed him.

"I suppose you will be wanting to know, too, Byakuya-sama?"

"Nonsense," he replied calmly. "I am only here to retrieve my vice captain."

It started as a slight flinch that quickly escalated into inexplicable and uncontrollable writhing. A gasp escaped through her parted lips as she rolled herself onto her side, curling into a defensive ball as her face contorted with pain. Renji didn't expect anything more from her, but her legs shifted under the blankets, her fists gripped the sheets, and she gasped a little louder as she became submerged in whatever agonized nightmare dared to pierce the haze of incoherence. Instinctively, he rose from his chair and set one foot forward to retrieve help… until he realized her eyes were open, burning with an indescribable agony. Overcome with the feeling that he should in some way try to ease the pain, he offered two short sentences before continuing. "Don't worry. I'm going to get help."

"Iie," Haru managed, stiffening her body to prevent herself from tossing about any more than she already had.

"Don't be an idiot. You need medicine…" Despite her condition, the injured girl managed a coherent response.

"You think a pill will cure the pain of a thousand generations?" She bit back a cry of pain and rolled hastily onto her stomach. "If you do, then you're the idiot."

"You'll tear your wounds open if you keep thrashing around…"

"Good," she said through clenched teeth, turning those helpless eyes on the vice captain. "I should have bled a little more, anyway. Maybe then, I could have followed his orders."

Unohana gazed at her co-worker for a moment, her eyes critical but her temper checked. A smile masked most of her anger, hiding the face Hajime and those in the room were highly unfamiliar with. "What makes you think he's here?"

"I can sense his reiatsu," Byakuya replied in monotone. "He never could control it sufficiently."

"He is upstairs watching my patient for any changes."

"But how is she?" Tomo demanded again despite a silent warning from Tatsuo. With his attention divided between the brazen girl and the aggravated outsider, no warning would have been enough to stop her.

"She is stable… for now." She watched Byakuya out of the corner of her eye for a reaction, and when he gave none, she continued. "Two broken ribs, a cracked vertebrate, traces of a poison that seems to be its own antidote, cuts, bruises, a stab wound to the left shoulder and a severe laceration on the right… the blood loss alone should have been enough to kill her. Still…" She paused to glance at Byakuya again, who seemed intent to wait until she was finished informing the five students of her condition. "Despite that, she was still fighting when Abarai-san carried her here. It took several grams of a mild sedative to enable the treatment of her wounds, but she took it willingly, almost as if she didn't want to wake up again."

"Then how did she survive?" Tomo demanded, both overjoyed and flustered at the news that Haru was still among the living.

"Perhaps…" Unohana paused a third time, this time shifting her eyes to the Kuchiki in blatant accusation. "Perhaps she had something she wanted desperately to come back to."

"What are you talking about?" Renji demanded, taking another step towards the bed and its writhing occupant. "What orders?"

"You were there… you heard what he said…" Haru's voice trailed off as another convulsion of restraint worked its way through her injured frame, almost as if she was unable to produce an echo of his words. "He meant it. He actually meant it. Such is my fate… to be betrayed by those I hold dearest, to be inwardly hated and despised by anyone who gets close enough to grasp one iota of truth about my existence, whether that iota be my mother or my father."

"The hell does fate have to do with anything?" he demanded, feeling less and less useful by the minute.

"Do I need to explain it to you?" Before she could provide an answer, a quiet expression of pain worked its way from her lips, a cry that barely constituted as a display of anything. "The unalterable, predetermined future… fate. For fifteen years… for fifteen years, I've been trying to put some meaning to it all. Fly or fall, it doesn't matter now… not when there isn't a trace of wind to be had beneath my wings."

"Meaning?" Byakuya inquired, raising a brow at the fourth division captain.

"Meaning she came back because of you."

"She has made it quite clear she wants nothing more to do with me and is thus no longer my concern."

"So, you would disobey your orders just for a piece of pride?" Takumi demanded, his eyes sharpening. "Is this your way of beating your own emotions back? She looks up to you, and this is how you express your gratitude? You weren't even man enough to go after her. You sorry son of a—" But rather than hear the remainder of Fujiwara Takumi's personal opinion of him, the Kuchiki calmly turned away. He lingered in the doorway for a moment, wavering on the cusp of duty and pride, before stepping through it.

"Send them home, Retsu," Byakuya said, "and let no one disrupt Tokazawa Miharu for the remainder of the night."

"I'm afraid I can't comply, Byakuya-sama," she responded. "Someone has to keep an eye on her, in case she needs—"

"If she needs anything," he interrupted, putting a hand on the door and sliding it slowly shut behind him. "I will notify you myself."

Though Renji had wanted desperately to see the girl show a vulnerable face, he would never have wished for the sight now before him. She twisted her head and continually shifted her limbs, desperately trying to find one trace of comfort to alleviate some of the ache in her back. A burning sensation worked its way along her spine, drawing from her desperate breaths that sometimes turned into quiet, wordless complaints. Her kimono had come apart, exposing her bandaged left shoulder and the dressing wrapped about her rib cage. Every now and again, her eyes would disappear, and tears of agony or anguish (Renji could not quite restrict them with a single label, so he refrained from guessing altogether) would leap free, mingle with the cold sweat coating her face, and descend at last to the pillow beneath her head.

Haru watched him helplessly, succumbing to the searing pain yet keeping most of it bottled up. She didn't hear the door slide open, nor did she hear the footsteps approach her bedside. She failed to perceive the shadow hovering over her writhing form or the reflection of his silhouette in Renji's startled eyes. All she felt was a gentle hand rest against the very source of her anguish, at which point, she collapsed into the pillow and let one arm hang off the bed, gasping for breath as she tried to collect herself. A silent order passed through the air, and the bewildered Renji, understanding his captain's request, disappeared through the doorway, leaving Haru alone with her visitor.

Once she caught her breath, she attempted to rise but found the task impossible, so she remained on her stomach with his palm pressing firmly between her shoulder blades, her head turned away from him and towards the window where the last of the sun's rays were staining the sky red and slowly dimming to darkness. "I came back," she murmured at last, trembling with exhaustion and anxiety. "Gomen." For some reason, the lapse in her formality wasn't what bothered him. He let his weight fall on the bed beside her, turning away from the rouge horizon visible through the window and from the sorry sight sitting just behind him. He rested his hands on his knees and waited for her to speak, but only her slowing breaths distorted the silence.

"Why did you come back?" he asked.

"Why?" She tried once more to sit up, plucking results from her efforts by degrees until, at last, she was on her knees with the white kimono still hanging off her left shoulder. A lock of nutmeg hair hung against it, providing a stark contrast to the deep brown spot adorning the white bandages. By degrees, she seemed to regain more of her reason, and when the full realization of who sat beside her came tumbling down, she glanced at him incredulously, as if he were merely a phantom of her memory. His dark eyes wandered over his shoulder for a moment, then glanced away again as the red of the sky worked its way into his cheeks. This escaped Haru's attention for the moment. "What makes you think I wanted to?"

"Unohana Retsu theorized that your survival was based wholly on some reason you wished to come back. I was only curious as to whether or not it was true."

"In a sense, I suppose it is," she replied darkly, sprawling out on her stomach while keeping one eye locked on her visitor. "The only reason I came back is to find the answer to a very important question."

"Souka," he responded, masking the hope in his voice with monotone. "And what question would that be?" Haru gazed at him for a moment, hoping to catch another glimpse of his eyes so she at least had some inkling of what he was thinking, but the glance never came. She had only the back of his head to scrutinize for traces of emotion, and as lovely as his ebony hair appeared at the moment, it was no help in her current purpose. She knew she no longer had a reason to give him answers, but his interest probed them forth in droves, even when she had no desire to discuss the matter.

"Have you ever heard the parable of the falcon and the field mouse?"

"I am not familiar with it." At last, she was gifted with what she sought, but his eyes were glazed over with stoicism. Haru wavered between the task of explaining it to the best of her ability through a haze of sedatives or simply letting the matter go. There was no avoiding it; the situation, and her promise to him, necessitated that she further clarify herself. She rolled onto her side, pushing her hair away from her eyes and behind her bare shoulder, studying his face for any reaction other than a startled blush. When none came, Haru drew a gentle breath, expelled a heavy sigh, and began.

"The falcon spends a lot of time flying, as birds often do, but for a long time, the falcon didn't know why it was flying. Then, it began to grow weak and tired, and a strange feeling overcame it. That feeling was hunger, so with its well-developed eyes, the falcon soared over a field looking for a bite to eat when it spotted a lowly little field mouse. Once it decided to make the rodent its meal, it began to dive downward at an incredible speed, but the field mouse saw its shadow and began to run. 'Little fool,' thought the falcon. 'You cannot run from me.' Over the ridges of freshly-plowed soil it ran, making the tiniest little footprints in the loose dirt. Then, just when the falcon was upon it, the field mouse dove out of sight into a hole the falcon failed to take note of. Its meal gone, it was forced to keep flying until the next opportunity to satiate its hunger arose."

Byakuya listened attentively and with a level of patience Haru hardly expected of him. When she was finished, he glanced at her again, running his gaze along the bandaged shoulder to her eyes, which studied him with the utmost curiosity. "I am not entirely sure as to the significance of your parable to my question, but I have come to expect some from you. Do not disappoint me."

"It isn't my parable," Haru replied calmly. "The quincies tell it all the time. Otousan told it to me a long time ago… and Ishi-nii retold it later so I wouldn't forget."

"Why would you want to remember a quincy parable?"

"Because it applies quite well to my situation." Some subtle shift in the air notified Haru of his disbelief, and she rose to meet the challenge as she always had. "Allow me to explain, then." After making sure his eyes were locked on hers and that they would stay that way instead of wandering to an arbitrary corner of the room, Haru proceeded. "Like the falcon, I, too, have been flying for a long time looking for something. I have grown weak, tired, and hungry, and I have spotted a morsel to satisfy my appetite in a field, but this one isn't freshly plowed. It has not been overturned since the day I was born. The soil has grown quite hard, and it is littered only with short, half-living grass. The dead flowers have long since become soil themselves. So, like the falcon, I dive towards the field mouse, dive on broken wings towards an unbroken, otherwise lifeless field, and just as I'm about to catch the thing up in my talons, it disappears into a little hole I was not aware of. And not just once, Byakuya-sama, but countless times, has that little brown field mouse or one of its gray cousins disappeared from view just as I was about to seize the very thing I was looking for."

"I am still unsure of what you mean," he responded, glancing away to think it over.

"I still don't know." Her eyes ran along the wrinkles in the sheets, meeting his black hakama before meandering away only to return to it. "I have spent fifteen years trying to figure out exactly what it is I am, whether I am a quincy with a shinigami's weaponry, or a shinigami with a quincy's pride." The manner in which she spoke caught his attention, drew his now even more incredulous gaze back to the disheveled laying beside him. Her finger traced one of the wrinkles, stopping at a safe distance. "Fifteen years is a long time to think about such things, is it not?"

"Haru-kun, what… what in the name of the gods are you saying?"

"You know precisely what I'm saying," she responded, sitting up with great determination, pushing her hair over her shoulder, and turning away. Without surprising boldness, likely a side-effect of her sedatives, she allowed the kimono to fall off her right shoulder, leaving Byakuya with a clear view of her upper back. His eyes consumed the sight of her skin… hungrily. They continued until they found that mark, the two perpendicular blue lines setting vibrantly between her shoulder blades, at which point they came to a rest as his mind began to process the significance of that mark. The vertical bar probably traveled halfway down her back, while the horizontal one spanned roughly half the width. "This is my nobility, Kuchiki Byakuya… the nobility of a quincy."

"Then your father… he was…" He bit off the rest of his sentence as soon as he saw Haru struggling to keep her shoulders rigid and untouched by the quivering that had already claimed her hands. He himself struggled with a multitude of things at the moment, namely accepting this strange new distortion the shinigami he had come to know as Tokazawa Miharu, but no… that was not her name, nor was that her true nature… was it? Byakuya quarreled with his doubt for a moment, until the silence grew old and stale. Then, he spoke again. "This father of yours… what was his name?"

"Tatsuhiro," she replied unsteadily. "Yamashita… Tatsuhiro."

"Souka." It wasn't as if Byakuya didn't recognize the name. Though his whereabouts had escaped all the records on quincies, his reputation as a powerful and formidable opponent preceded him; yes, there was a time Kurotsuchi Mayuri was interested in capturing him for the observation of a single technique, though at the moment, he could not recollect the name of it. Otherwise, he recalled everything associated with the name Yamashita from their fall as a family of quincies to their rise as an incredibly powerful corporate body when the fifteenth heir found himself desiring a safer life. The eighteenth heir, Yamashita Tatsuhiro, possessed the best of both worlds. Despite knowing the details from some obscure file he had stumbled across years ago, there was still one question that remained. "Doushite?"

The question drew Haru's gaze, distant yet so full of color. "Are you really that much of a fool to require an explanation? Very well… when a man and woman love each other very much, they…"

"Not that," he interrupted, his voice a little more exasperated than he intended. A trace of amusement darted across Haru's gaze only to be swallowed again by anxiety. "I meant… how did he meet Misuzu?"

"From what they tell me, she was out one day hunting a hollow when he came along and saved her the trouble of destroying it herself. She was pretty angry at him for steeling her kill, so he wound up taking her out to dinner to make up for it." At that moment, a bout of lightheadedness overwhelmed her, causing her to sway slightly, but before she could fall, a pair of arms encircled her, drew her close enough to stop the shivering and send the cold of night running. His heartbeat was the only sound she heard other than her own breathing, and it lulled her so close to sleep that her eyes would have fallen shut had it not been for the sudden disruption.

"Tell me more." He felt her shift bewilderedly under the weight of his request. Despite her obvious gratitude, Haru denied him the one thing he wanted more than anything, to see her face lit with a smile. Facing away from him, he received not the slightest glimpse. The silence made him so impatient that he nearly repeated himself, but Haru cut him off just as his lips parted to do so.

"What else is it you wish to know?"

"Everything," Byakuya replied, forgetting to mask his hunger for answers in his haste to actually speak. Already, his fingers were working against a lock of her hair, racing gently along its length to reacquaint him with its soft texture. "I want to know everything about them."

"Nande?"

"Because it will lead me closer to understanding you."

"I did not realize understanding me was important to you." Her words were a sorry attempt to push him away. Instead of releasing her, Byakuya clutched her tighter, drawing a slight hiss of pain from her lungs due to a trace of pain that suddenly pierced the side of her rib cage. "Byakuya-sama…"

"Onegai." The word was spoken directly into her ear and in a tone so low that she trembled again, this time differently than before. Her eyes burned with tears as her head fell forward, and a quiet sob worked its way out of her lungs. It was difficult to keep holding her, knowing she was giving her tears to the window, but just as he was about to ask for them, Haru whirled about and threw herself at his shoulder, jolting him hard enough to knock him slightly off balance. Fortunately, his quick thinking saved them both from the unnecessary pain of a descent to the wooden floor.

"I… I do not deserve your kindness. Someone like me… with someone like you… it isn't… isn't plausible. That is why… that is why…" Haru's head rose, her watery violet eyes gazing into his own. "That is why you have to let me go."

"I will not."

"Why the hell not? Is my heritage not reason enough for you to cast me away?"

"I will not," he repeated firmly, his eyes demanding to know what in heaven's name caused her to make such an outlandish demand of him. "I made the mistake of letting you go once, but I will not do so again. You are too precious… far too precious to release on account of a half-hearted request that I let you go, a request that has no desire whatsoever in it." The force against his chest was suddenly not of a clinging variety, but of one pushing away. A trace of anger permeated his gaze, spawned by a complete and total lack of understanding. Tears were still pouring from her eyes, and her arms were trembling with the mere effort, almost as if they did not wish to be implemented in that manner. Seeing a trace of cleverness burn through those eyes, Haru prepared for the worst, and sure enough, it came. He pressed his palm straight against the mark, drawing a cry that walked the fine line between pain and pleasure from her. Then, she was right back to where she started: clutching to the folds of his hakama as if Byakuya was the only thing keeping her alive. "Tell me what you truly want, Haru-kun, and I will see it done, but until the day you honestly want me to let you go, I will keep holding on."

After that, Haru seemed a little more willing to succumb to the orders her mind and heart had been screaming since Byakuya first made his presence known. She rested her head against his shoulder and allowed the rhythmic heartbeat to soothe her sorrows to a point where she could again speak coherently. It admittedly took some time, but the noble somehow knew it would be worth the wait. "Byakuya-sama."

"Hmm?"

"If you want to know everything, I think we should start with my name." Haru raised her hand to dry the tears still lingering on her face. Then, in a quiet, even tone, she continued. "It was Urahara-sensei's idea that I take up my mother's name in order to keep a low profile and to ensure just and right treatment should the day ever come that I cross the threshold between the human world and Soul Society. Miharu… that name is a lie, too, created for the soul sake of allowing me movement without attracting attention."

"A lie?" he echoed.

"Not entirely," she sighed. "It's difficult to explain, but I will do my best. As you know, my mother was somewhat deviant; she had her own way of doing things here. That is probably half the reason why she married my father… deviant even in love…" Haru became silent for a moment, almost as if she had fallen asleep. Then, she continued with surprising steadiness. "So when it came to bearing children, one would expect her to go against the norm. Typically, the first born of my father's family is a boy, and even though I wasn't, he was still too excited to contain himself. So, he wrote the wrong name on the birth certificate after I was born. My name really is Haru… Yamashita Haru… the nineteenth heir to the family holdings." She stirred against his shoulder, waiting for a response but getting none save a gentle sigh and the movement of his hand along her cheek.

"Then you truly are a noble."

"Not exactly." Surprised, Byakuya's hand halted in its course. A pair of midnight eyes focused on hers. The girl was nestled against his chest and peering up at him in all their innocent glory. "You see, a long time ago, my father died while saving me from a hollow. Though it wasn't the hollow that killed him, I was so traumatized that I forgot a significant detail of the incident for a long time. I only remembered him draping his quincy cross around my neck and telling me to be strong. Of course, considering my heritage, the family blamed me for his death and so revoked my right to be its head. They accused me of having no remorse… because I refused to cry. I did it for my mother because it was so tough on her. I became her pillar of strength, the one she leaned on when she could no longer bear the anguish and solitude. On the day of his funeral, I let myself go. Only then did they see I truly grieved for my dead father. Perhaps that is why, despite my refusal to openly use the name, they gave us a small stipend to live on."

"But it is your name."

"I signed it away when I turned thirteen, and all the nobility that came with it."

"What about your mother?"

"She died when I was seven… Aizen killed her right before my eyes the same way he did my father." Byakuya, needing no more detail than he already had, pressed a gentle hand against the back of her head, a silent reassurance that she could lean on him when the pain became too much to bear. "And the worst part of it was, I could have stopped it."

"How could you be expected to?" he asked.

"Well, when my father died, I only knew he was dead. Okasan and I spent my nights in much the same way you and I do: an evening meal, a warm bath, and hours gazing at the stars. That was only until he came, though… all I knew was that she seemed happy to see him, but I was terrified. I never spoke to him when he came in, and the one time we made eye contact, I remember not being able to sleep that night, even when I invaded my mother's bed. I could bear her platonic affection for him… I could even bear his growing interest in her. What I couldn't stand was his fascination with me, with my existence. It was subtle: a glance here and a word there, but I knew full well he wanted to dissect every trace of my power and get to the root of it. For that reason, I learned to hate him.

"It was one evening when he came home with my mother after a routine day of hunting hollows that I finally remembered… I finally remembered that shadow of a man, the red tint of blood on a blade, and those cold eyes looking satisfied beyond all reason when a horrified scream tore past my lips." Haru paused to glance up at the captain, who was surprised to find her eyes as placid as her voice.

"You seem to speak so casually of these things."

"I am no stranger to death, Byakuya-sama. Besides, I have mourned for my father and my mother… though part of me will always miss them both, I have to live my life to its fullest for the both of them. That means keeping the memories close without continuing to dwell on the thought that they're dead." This seemed rather reasonable to him, so he made no objection. "He killed her as soon as he figured out I knew. In the middle of a hunt with a group of menos, he simply turned the blade on her. I was there… hiding. Despite her insistence that I stay home, I followed them as best I could. It is difficult to move quickly when sealed inside a physical body. She must have guessed his intention, because she held onto that blade until her very last breath."

Byakuya glanced down as the grip on his kimono tightened until her knuckles turned pale and trembled. "Haru-kun…"

"He would have killed me, too, had it not been for some turn of fortune's hand. The very moment my mother died, my own shinigami powers awakened with a force that made the then captain of the fifth division tremble. I didn't know what I was doing, or why all of a sudden, I was holding a sword. I just knew that if I cut him one time, I could die knowing I had at the very least done something, but the sword never reached him. He nearly crushed me with his reiatsu, and seeing how easily I crumpled beneath it, he changed his mind. He told me I wasn't worth killing, and then, he simply left.

"It started to rain after that. I had to stay where I was, since I wanted to make sure I had a body to go back to. There, alone in the rain, cold and wet and shivering with nothing but her corpse to keep me company… until sensei found me. I was so terrified, so dead set against giving anyone the luxury of my trust again, that I nearly broke his arm with the force of one swing. He was afraid, I think, of what I could do to him if the spirit moved me. Even so, he put one hand on my head, told me it was going to be all right, and let me cry for a while before lifting my body and ordering me to follow him. I was in no position to question him.

"The next day, it began. I, the nineteenth head of the Yamashita clan, began training under Urahara Kisuke in order to learn the way of the shinigami. And his training was quite effective, but I always held on to a little piece of quincy."

"I suppose that piece came in handy today?"

"Iie… shinseinahi has nothing to do with being a quincy… save a little manipulation of spirit particles."

"If, by 'shinseinahi,' you are referring to the pillar of flames I happened to take note of in the distance, then that is not at all what I mean."

"Then I am not sure of your meaning at all," Haru responded.

"The poison should have killed you, or at least paralyzed you," Byakuya stated. "It is what killed Shimori… his heart and lungs were overtaken by the poison, though the blood loss likely would have killed him anyway. Yet how is it that you kept moving despite suffering both paralysis and tremendous blood loss?" Hearing the implication in his voice, Haru squirmed out of his grip, allowing the bite of the cold air to bring her back to her senses. Her hand rested on top of his, a reassurance that it was in no way meant to be taken as rejection. Then, her violet eyes found his own, lit with a seriousness that nearly caused him to shirk away. Haru had no intention of letting go, however, and Byakuya would not have allowed it, either. She spoke a single word, a strange term he had never heard in his days at the academy. Nay, he had only heard it one time from the captain of the twelfth division, and even then, he was quick to forget it. Now that Haru uttered the word, though, its significance would always linger in the recesses of its mind.

"Ransotengai."

"I… beg your pardon?"

"Ransotengai," she repeated, holding out her arm. "It is a highly advanced quincy technique, probably the most advanced there is." At first, Byakuya thought it was only the moon, but he soon realized it was a glow Haru herself summoned. "All it takes is a little bit of spirit particle manipulation. The tricky part is condensing them into threads. Trickier still is attaching them to flesh. It usually works better if I have some sort of fabric to anchor them to." Sure enough, the glow shifted into the shape of innumerable white filaments that drifted through the air like a spider's web. Then, they vanished altogether, serving to ease her movements. The hand pressed against the side of his face, causing his eyes to widen slightly. "But… the result is always the same. It takes a lot of practice, and an extremely high tolerance for pain. This way, I can keep fighting even after my body gives out; fight until it turns to dust." A trace of fear flickered in his gaze, at which Haru's fingers slid along the contour of his cheek, curled along his jaw line, and finally took to the air. Already, the blush had overcome him; it was always a little awkward when Haru initiated any display of affection, probably because she was still so young. The smile did him in, that lighthearted and determined expression which, for some reason, seemed to lighten his own heart.

After one additional instant of restraint, Byakuya threw his arms around her, drawing a slight cry of pain and protest from her otherwise silent lips. She was too startled to do anything more, with his weight pressing her back into the mattress. After a moment, his eyes drifted into view, so dark they were nearly black, and burning with a desire Haru was completely unfamiliar with. Seeing the trepidation in her eyes brought a wily smirk to his face that faded more quickly than she would have liked. "I wish we could stay like this," he said quietly.

"Who's to say we can't?"

"Sunday morning paperwork."

"I was hoping you would note Unohana-taichou?"

"What about her?" he returned casually, putting his hands on either side of her shoulders so he was staring straight down into those silvery violet orbs.

"She might not… approve."

"Since when has a lack of approval stopped me?"

"A valid point," she replied, allowing a sigh of contentment to escape her. The drugs were beginning to take effect again, dragging her away from the consciousness she so desperately wished to hold on to. A brief smile flitted across his expression as those chips of obsidian pierced her gaze, reading the weariness filling it. There was nothing different about his eyes, nothing different at all, and with that conviction, Haru allowed hers to fall shut. They remained so until she felt his lips rest against her own. Normally, she would have kept them closed, but startled as she was, they instinctively shot open.

Byakuya's own gaze burned into hers, clouded with ecstasy and an expertly restrained desire. One glimpse was all it took for Haru to forget about her injuries. She wound her arms around his neck, wanting to draw him closer than he was yet finding she lacked the strength. A gentle hand brushed over the side of her rib cage and along her hip, exploring its curve without threatening to violate. When he deepened the kiss, Haru couldn't help but arch her back. It was different than any other expression of affection Byakuya had thus far gifted her with. There were stars before her eyes, and she could almost feel the world stop spinning, just for a moment. The passion was unbelievable, as if there was no longer anything between them. All that existed to hinder their pursuit was obliterated from thought and feeling; thought was gone entirely, whereas feeling was centered only on the other.

But the moment, like all others, was only a moment, and its passage was necessitated by its very nature. Byakuya drew away, with difficulty. Neither of them deemed it enough, yet he seemed to retain a greater capacity for thought than the sedated girl beneath him. A single hand on her uninjured shoulder was all the more restraint he needed to give. "Haru-kun…" Perhaps it was best to leave immediately, but he found himself so startlingly short of breath that he was forced to remain. Unable to do anything more, he stroked the top of her head as the burning in her eyes lessened from an inferno to an ember. A familiar and unwanted sensation worked its way through him, and from the change in her own gaze, he could tell Haru saw it.

"Why are you ashamed?" she asked.

"Perhaps I feel as if I am slowly stripping you of your innocence." Her smile did little to reassure him, but it was enough to satisfy her considering her present state of consciousness.

"I am willingly surrendering it," Haru murmured. "You have taken nothing from me that I have not been willing to give, so do not concern yourself with it." Her cheek leaned against his hand, pressing against it with considerable warmth and causing his brow to arch with curiosity. "Nani?"

"Are you… blushing?"

"Iie," Haru replied hastily, shutting her eyes and curling up in a defensive ball. It was difficult considering Byakuya's current position, but she managed it. She felt him lean forward again, felt his fingers brush against her bandaged temple.

"You are cute when you blush," he murmured into her ear. An irritated violet eye opened briefly before shutting again. Amused, he settled for pressing his lips briefly against her cheek before rising. With a father's gentleness, Byakuya straightened the covers, draping them over her shoulders as she shivered due to the loss of his warmth. He was about to leave when his eyes caught her own, a pair of frightened silvery orbs filling with tears. It would be their first night apart since Haru arrived almost a month ago. Seeing how difficult it was for her, Byakuya unwound the scarf from his neck and placed it on her pillow. "I will return for this as soon as I am finished. Until then, please get some rest, Haru-kun." That was all the more encouragement she needed. The frightened eyes fell shut, leaving nothing behind but peace.

And that is how he left her. He tried to think of a more difficult departure he had experienced during the lonely walk home, and when none came to mind, he sent a resentful smile to the heavens, which regarded him as nothing more than a tiny shadow moving in the night, if they even regarded him at all.

* * *

Okay, I willingly admit that the whole "world stopped turning for a moment thing" was a tad cliche... but I couldn't help myself. Even we single people who have forever vowed to refrain from all things amorous in order to become a crazy old cat lady with a pen fetish (not the naughty kind... guess fascination would have been a better word choice) are known to be romantic at some point in writing. If it bothered anyone too much, or if the scene skipping did, I apologize... .. In case you haven't noticed yet, I'm one of those writers that likes to make my readers think a little bit... XP I probably won't do it again, so if it made your eyes bleed, don't worry. I'll make up for it with a brief Japanese lesson:

Iie : No (5 pages without a Japanese word... wow... XD)

Gomen : I'm sorry

Souka : I see

Doushite : How (new word!)

Nande : Why

Onegai : Please

Nani : What

An extremely short Japanese lesson. I was so focused on the form, I forgot to overwhelm you with language as well. Gomen! XD

Now, for a couple of side notes that I found worth mentioning:

"...filaments that drifted through the air like a spider's web" is an allusion to Walt Whitman's "A Noiseless, Patient Spider." It's super-short and highly existential. Read it; it is wonderful, and I'm sure it's on the internet somewhere...

The Parable... I made that up. Don't ask me how... my brain does strange things sometimes.

Hopefully, everyone got passed the confusing layers/fragmentation and enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reading! Now, off to hibernate...


	18. Chapter 18: Remembrance

Chapter 18: Remembrance

A/N: So, here we are again… it's hard to believe I've been at this for nearly two months now, and (this will please some people) with no end in sight… or at least, if it is in sight, it's a long way's off. Therefore, in spite of my shoulder angel kicking me to get back to more "practical" writing, my shoulder devil has convinced me to continue providing you all with quality fanfiction. I'll bet you feel proud, dear readers, turning me over to the dark side… evil smile But anyway, I have some stuff I'm going to TRY to publish that I wrote a while ago, so if chapters lag, it's either because my shoulder angel smote my shoulder devil or usurped power or something…

Time for some exciting news! Some of you already know this (Flamy-chan, _cough_)… in fact, I may have already told you, but guess what? It deserves retelling… it is a huge triumph for me. I submitted 4 pieces to the literary magazine on campus, and guess what? All four pieces made it in! And _The Tau _(name of the literary magazine) actually came out the other day… you can bet I downloaded it and sent it to half my friends. .' And more exciting news: I have officially finished everything for the semester. Only finals are left… and the last week of class… thankfully. Warning: TC is currently in don't-give-a-damn mode until the end of the semester. Please excuse any typos, grammatical/syntax errors, or any other such mind-grating mistakes… such as getting Byakuya out of character, which, according to a majority of my lovely reviewers, I haven't done yet. Hope I didn't do it this chapter… if I did, you may smite me at will, but I'm already half dead already. For those of you who are familiar with DDR, a word of advice: never play Sakura on challenge mode three times in a row…

A word of thanks to all my loyal readers and reviewers! I could not have made it this far without you, and I can truly say I have become a better writer having written this. Thanks to all, and I hope to continue receiving your inputs, opinions, and demands for more (my personal favorite… :3) As a reward for putting up with my super-long A/N, you receive a chapter! Huzzah!

* * *

_Chapter 18: Remembrance_

Sleep stayed with her for far too short a time. For some reason, without him there, the bed seemed too cold. Still, she attained a sufficient amount to function, and when she sat up, the sky in the west was already tinted deep blue. Farther up, the sky was closer to being purged of night and its darkness. Haru stared at it for a moment before recalling the events of the night before, her words, and that persistent man whom she still called her host. Then, with a swiftness that startled the unseen figure sitting in the chair, she dove under the covers and let out a pitiful groan. "You still in pain?" The familiarity of the voice drew her from her sanctuary. Her gaze fell to the redhead sitting by the window, looking composed but wavering on the cusp of sympathy. She emerged the rest of the way with uncertainty, sitting up with a slight hiss while drawing her knees up. Her eyes clearly demanded to know why he was sitting there, gazing at her with fascination, when all she wanted was to think things over in solitude. "Taichou's orders. Sorry… you won't be getting rid of me."

"What about paperwork?"

"He said he'd do it himself," Renji replied with a shrug. "Besides, I was up half the night finishing the shit he left for me."

"Then should you not get some rest yourself?" Haru suggested, a note of hope in her voice.

"Nice try. You're not getting rid of me."

"I'll crack your damn skull open," she threatened.

"A headache or a thousand cuts. Which one is worse?" That comment brought about the end of Haru's attempts to rid herself of Renji's presence. The drugs were still in her system, but in trace amounts, allowing her to think far more clearly than she had been the night before. A visible shiver overtook her frame for a moment as the full realization hit her. "Hey… you sure you're all right?"

"Fine," she quipped. "Abarai-san, I don't suppose you would be willing to do me a small favor?"

"Depends. Taichou told me not to spoil you. I reckon that's his job." Haru's face turned nearly as red as his hair, but she made no rejoinder. She simply stirred as if to shake the remaining weight of her sedatives off. With determination, she threw back the blankets, twisted her body so her legs hung over the bed. "Hey, wait a second…"

"If I don't walk now, I'll be sore all day," Haru retorted, setting her feet on the floor and rising with a composure that startled her. "It happens the day after."

"The hell do you mean the day after?" Renji demanded. "Just what did you do last night with him?" Haru didn't have enough energy to let the insinuation get to her. She simply crossed the room, making small adjustments to her sleeping kimono with each step, and learned against the window sill. It was going to be another sunny day in Soul Society. After having lived nearly a month without rain, Haru was already beginning to miss it. She held out her hand to the morning air, whose cool fingers whirled around it with fascination. Then, she turned back to the red-haired vice captain intent on watching her.

"Would you mind too terribly much if I asked you to step out of the room for a moment?"

"Like hell, I will," he shot back.

"Fine, but if Byakuya-sama hears you refused to leave the room while I changed…" In a flash, he was heading towards the door, frustration causing his tattooed brow to spasm. The door slammed loudly behind him, and she was alone, alone to think things over with a mind clouded only by her own exhaustion. "Stubborn," she retorted, moving away from the window and throwing her kimono on the bed. It was a bit of a struggle getting into her uniform considering her numerous injuries. She shuddered as the fabric brushed against her back through the bandages surrounding it. More difficult still was the twisting and bending involved with putting on the various garments.Various minor aches racked her body, and her muscles began to quiver under too much weight or strain. The process of dressing was soon completed, however, and with great resolve, she closed her hands around Suzaku, crossing the room to retrieve the phone Urahara had sent her (which, like her glasses, remained miraculously in tact) and Byakuya's scarf.

_Haru-sama, it is too soon to be moving! You are still injured!_

_Relax, _she replied nonchalantly. _As long as I'm breathing, I'm not injured enough._

_Demo…_

_I'll be fine, _Haru insisted. _Besides, you know how stiff I get if I don't move around after using ransotengai. _

_What happens if you collapse?_

_I'm taking someone with me, _she replied, setting her glasses upon the bridge of her nose and carefully pushing them up. Then, she pulled the drawer of the nightstand open, tucking the phone in one side of her hakama and Byakuya's scarf in the other. _I trust him to look after me, under the threat of death from Byakuya-sama. Kuso… how I wish I had something to tie this hair of mine back with. _She was just about to begin searching the room when the door slid open, revealing a serious-looking Unohana. She glanced at the captain for a moment, a silent signal that her presence was acknowledged. After setting her zanpakutoh behind her, she sat down on the edge of the bed, pulled one knee up, and, silently resigning her search before it even began, proceeded to yank her socks over her feet.

"Tokazawa Miharu," she said, closing the door. "It is too soon for you to…"

"I will be fine." The interruption was not intended to belittle or disrespect the fourth division's captain. It was merely meant to reassure her. "I know this body well. I have been its occupant for fifteen years, so I know its strengths, its weaknesses, its limits… not all of them, but enough to know that a walk won't kill me any more than sitting still and resting will."

"Tokazawa-san, I must insist that you rest. You lost a lot of blood, and I don't think the poison is completely out of your system yet. Additionally, you haven't eaten since yesterday, and…" But every argument she set forth was a hopeless attempt. Behind a set of placid silver-violet eyes lingered the comprehension of every risk involved and the confidence that no catastrophe would come to pass.

"I asked Abarai-san to accompany me for safety's sake. If anything happens, he will escort me back. Otherwise, I will ask that you let me go."

"But your wounds… and that mark…"

"You would do well to forget about it," she responded, trying to contain the threat that nearly overpowered her voice. Her eyes locked on the floor, refusing to move even when the weight of the fourth division captain fell beside her and the gentle hand fell against her back. A slight hiss escaped her lips, but she didn't draw away as it pressed against the shield that somehow failed to protect her. The muscles tensed and became rigid, and then, Unohana's hand drew away. "I will tell you it bears some significance. However, that significance is only important to me for the moment. When the time comes…" Out of pure instinct, Haru hesitated, but she quickly regained her composure. That determined gaze wandered to the captain at her side, who was startled yet patient. "When the time comes, I will bear my soul and give my true name to all of Soul Society. Until that day, he is the only one that needs to know."

"I understand," she responded, smiling darkly at the incredible resilience of the girl sitting beside her.

"By the way, I believe I owe you an apology. I did some damage to your aide yesterday… is he all right?" Such a curious shift in subject and in tone was not at all expected. In an instant, it went from implicitly threatening to explicitly sympathetic and regretful. She blinked for a moment before gathering enough composure to produce an answer.

"Oh, yes," she replied.

"I am pleased to hear it. Had I injured him badly, I would have had a heavy weight to bear on my conscience, but since I don't…" A resolute hand gripped the wooden sword, and in the same manner, Haru's feet touched the floor. Steady steps carried her towards the door. "I'm afraid this is farewell for now, Unohana-taichou. Arigato-gonzaimasu…"

"Tokazawa-san," she called as the young girl reached the door. Pausing, Haru glanced back to the captain, who rose from her seat and turned with a rather grave look on her face. "You will… look after him, right?" A slight blush worked its way into her cheeks, and she cast her eyes to the floor.

"He does not need me to look after him."

"I have my doubts." Puzzled, Haru looked the placid captain in the eye again to see a few traces of concern working across her gaze. "Byakuya-sama lost someone very important to him, and then he almost lost someone else. He may pretend everything is fine for the first few days, but…" She cut herself off, trying to find the right way to explain it. "I watched him while we were at the academy from time to time, taking note of his habits. I wasn't infatuated with him or anything… simply curious. When his parents died, no significant outward change occurred until after the funeral… then, he threw himself at his studies as if it were the only precious thing left in his life. Undoubtedly, Shimori-san was very important to him, a precious mentor who was almost like a second father to him."

"Why are you telling me this?" Haru inquired. "The matter sounds very personal. I honestly doubt it is any of my business."

"I only ask that you watch him so he doesn't wind up in the infirmary. If he works himself sick, then there will be no helping it, and if he is there, then he won't be able to watch you." Haru was half tempted to ask why it was so important that she be watched, but she had no doubt of Unohana's underlying suspicions. Nonetheless, they were not sufficient reason to cause the rejection of her proposal.

"I will do what I can," she replied, pushing the door open with ease. "Just… do not mention anything to anyone else."

"Of course not… or have you forgotten doctor-patient confidentiality?" A smile of understanding passed between them, a brief and friendly gesture that served to cement their bond. Then, with a manner both noble and gentle, Haru disappeared down the hall, treading the steps with light steps before vanishing from earshot altogether. From that interview, Unohana Retsu drew only one conclusion: that Tokazawa Miharu, while not conventional by any means, was probably one of the most promising shinigami she had ever laid eyes on.

"By the way, Abarai-san…"

"Quit calling me that," the redhead interjected, but Haru continued without notice.

"I forgot to thank you." For some reason, those words served to stop him in his tracks. He wasn't used to be being thanked; working with Byakuya required putting the desire for such trifle expressions on ice, as he never thanked anyone. Furthermore, the Kuchiki wasn't the only one to note the noble air about Haru. He was well aware that, when she sat beside the captain eating her meal, their movements were similar in grace and subtlety. The girl peered at him from over her shoulder, turning so the white fabric tied to the end of her sword made a graceful arc before succumbing to gravity again. "I honestly doubt I would be alive with you, so…" Before he could object, she was bowing at the waist. Her hair hung in her eyes, shrouding them from view, but they were undoubtedly as grateful as the gesture itself. "Arigato-gonzaimasu, Abarai-san."

In a millisecond, his hand was against the top of her head, a friendly gesture that served to remind Haru just how young she was. Startled violet eyes wandered up to him. "I told you to quit with that 'Abarai-san' stuff. It's too formal."

"Demo…"

"Just call me Renji. Everyone else does." A confident grin was all it took, a ridiculously contagious expression Haru found herself quickly picking up. Then, he continued along, listening to the steps at his left, watching the subtle sway of her determined steps. Eventually, her elation mellowed out to her usual placidity, yet for some reason, her eyes seemed distant. "Something bugging you?"

"Nani?"

"You're spacing out."

"You do not have to worry so much, Renji-san…"

"I told you to quit with the '-san' stuff, damn it!" he shouted. "Quit being so damn uptight. I ain't going to bite you or anything… besides, I've got to worry a little bit. Taichou'll have my head if anything happens to you, and when I found you yesterday, you were so beat up, I didn't think you'd be moving for a while yet." Renji perceived a quick movement from the corner of his eye, and in his usual fortuitous manner, he just managed to dodge the wooden sword aimed at his head. "The hell was that for?" he demanded.

"Clearly, you underestimate my resilience, Renji-san. Know that just because I am grateful does not mean I will refrain from delivering recompense for such things."

"I'll bet you never take swings at Kuchiki-taichou like that." Renji expected her to stammer, to blush, anything to convey an awkward and implicit message that something was going on between them. Instead, she simply pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose as a gentle gust of wind swept around them.

"Actually, I do."

"I've never seen you do it."

"That is probably because you have never seen us spar," Haru replied, beginning forward again. "Twice, now, that troublesome man has beaten me. It will not happen a third time."

"Don't get cocky," Renji cautioned. "Kuchiki-taichou is pretty serious about his pride. If you step on it, he'll…" But a scoff from the bold girl treading the streets beside him cut off the remainder of his sentence. "You ain't afraid of him?"

"Why should I be?"

"Fine, step on his pride. See if I care. Just let me know how fearless you are after he uses bankai on you."

"Just because I do not fear him does not mean I wish to step on his pride. I respect Byakuya-sama, as an opponent and a friend. As his vice captain, do you not share the same feeling?"

"Not exactly," he replied, grinning and putting a demeaning hand on her head again, tousling her hair to her dismay. "I'm not the one that keeps him company after the sun goes down." He couldn't dodge the sword that time. It jabbed into his ribcage with enough force to send his hand retreating. Combined with her half-serious leer, it caused Renji to break into another grin. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"If talking and drinking tea is what you mean by 'company,' then I will not object."

"And if it ain't?"

"Then I'll crack your damn skull open," she replied with a most unsettling smile. "This time, without fail."

"Ain't you supposed to take it easy?"

"I'm wounded; I'm not dead." She would do it, too. It was clear just from the apparently innocent and docile manner in which she gripped her sword. "That may be why I cannot stand spending my day in a hospital bed."

"Cabin fever sets in…"

"And before you know it, you are counting bumps on the ceiling." A heavy sigh escaped her, drawing Renji's gaze. Despite having experienced her resilience first hand, it wasn't difficult for him to spy the subtle signs of her vulnerability. Her shoulders were slightly less rigid than they usually were, and in her eyes lurked a tired, distant glimmer that made them look more silvery than what was typical. Still, she was smiling… smiling the saddest smile he had ever seen. "I don't want to think about it, but… for some reason, I just can't forget that look on his face when he let go." Renji stirred uncomfortably; to think of what Haru had seen, or what she had gone through almost twenty-four hours before… heaven only knew. She certainly had no reason to tell him.

"Just curious." The fragment caught her attention, drawing her partly back to the conversation she was in rather than that which had passed. "Your zanpakutoh is a fire-type, right? I saw it yesterday."

"Hai… saishuuteki na keitai."

"What a mouthful," he retorted.

"It gets the job done," Haru replied. "Shinseinahi is the form I save for life or death situations and for times I cannot afford to lose. It arises from a desperate desire to avoid the sin that is bankai."

"Bankai a sin?" Renji inquired. "How the hell do you figure that?"

"Because for me, bankai is a product of my other half."

"The hell are you going on about? Other half? Chotto matte…" He stopped in mid-sentence, thrusting an accusing finger at her. "Don't tell me you have a bankai!"

"I said nothing of the sort," Haru replied.

"Souka… what a relief."

"…But I never said I didn't."

"Kuso!" he shouted, leveling his eyes with her own and replacing his hand on her head, this time a little harder than most. "Quit screwing with me, kodomo!" Renji's anger was easily subdued by the genuine smile and the slight laugh that escaped her. Crossing his arms, he whirled away and kept walking with her following on his heels. "Gods, you're screwy."

"Genius is ninety-nine percent insanity," Haru replied, still beaming.

"I can't stand it…" he grumbled. "How the hell did I get stuck babysitting you?"

"I only asked you to come along in case my wounds decided to deny me the right to enjoy the day. If not for them, I would gladly relish this fine weather in solitude." Incredulously, the vice captain turned to the girl at his side. If her tone was not enough to convey her umbrage, then the dangerous glimmer in her eyes was.

"Wari… I wasn't trying to offend you or anything. Just messing with you." She was a girl of quickly-changing emotions. Suddenly, her icy anger melted to unveil a lingering sadness. Wavering between composure and tears, Haru's steps came to an abrupt halt. "What'd I say?" Renji cried in an unnecessarily loud tone, shifting his eyes as a panic that they were being watched struck him. Finding no one was paying either he or Haru any special attention, he allowed himself a moment of relief before recalling her state of mind.

"I know I can be troublesome," she murmured, gripping her sword tighter. "Trying not to be does no good. I have only been trouble for Byakuya-sama, too, and Shimori-san, and Ishi-nii and Urahara-sensei… every life I touch, I wind up altering for the worst."

"Bull shit," Renji retorted.

"But it's true!" she insisted, her violet eyes peering up into his brown ones. "Even for you, Renji-san…"

"Fine, so what if it is? You'd be more troublesome dead." Startled by these words, Haru, fell silent and bowed her head to consider it. In all honesty, she had never looked at things quite that way. "Come on, kodomo…"

"Will you stop calling me that?" she said irately.

"Only if you start calling me Renji."

"But I do call you Renji-san, Renji-san."

"There you go again with the '-san' shit." Haru whimpered slightly as he flicked her forehead, peering at him with one eye flickering with displeasure. "Drop it, and maybe I'll start calling you by your name." She was still looking at him… that innocence, that same innocence which suggested she had not witnessed death. Heaving a sigh, Renji turned again and started on his way. "You still feeling all right?"

"Hai."

"How 'bout some tea, then?" The way she looked at him almost threw him into a fit of laughing, as if she couldn't quite recall what tea was. "I'll get you some. I owe you for the other day, anyway." It was slow in coming, but a smile slowly broke over her face.

"That really is not necessary, Renji-san."

"Nonsense. I want to do it. That way, when you need something important, you can't say I owe you anything." His justification was amusing, the very quality that made her smile grow. That was how they wound up sitting under a shady tree, each with a cup of tea in hand, Renji inhaling his while Haru inhaled the vapors and took a sip. "I know it's probably not as good as what Kuchiki-taichou gives you, but… it's the best I can do." Yet quite suddenly, her emotions changed again like a chameleon. Her eyes were dark with analysis, her expression one of intense focus. It was frightening how much she reminded him of Byakuya doing paperwork, so much so that he hesitated to ask her exactly what she was thinking about. "Na… nandesuka?"

As if she was recalling Renji's presence, she glanced at him, her eyes flitting with the same analytic light. "I was merely thinking."

"Well, ain't that a first?"

"He has to have an opening."

"Forget it, kodomo… you're eons away from actually beating Kuchiki-taichou. I've been at it for over fifty years now, and I'm barely closer than when I started."

"I found the opening once," Haru continued; either she didn't hear him, or she did and she refused to acknowledge defeat. The moment played itself out in her mind: the wooden swords, the sting in her right arm, the strike she blocked with her foot, the process of following through with the spin, and the subtle victory with which she tapped his shoulder with her zanpakutoh. She tilted her tea cup, distorting the reflections, causing them to dance about the pale liquid. Her eyes sharpened as she conjured the moment again in her memory, but more recent events disallowed her from becoming too engrossed with it. She winced visibly, wavering in her focus and swallowing the dismay in her throat.

"Hey." The beckon brought her back to reality and away from her blood-tinted musings. "You feeling okay? You look a little pale."

"Fine," Haru replied, sipping her tea, knowing full well what she needed: a big meal, a warm bath, a long sleep… and enough sake to put the events from her mind. The trouble was her self-imposed limit. Four would never get her there. Perhaps it was better she lacked access to it; there was a task that needed completing before she set about forgetting. "Renji-san, do you know which way home is?"

"Home?" he inquired.

"I mean the Kuchiki manor."

"The hell are you calling it home for? You don't live there."

"Demo…" She didn't feel like arguing with him. Having fulfilled the task of summoning her body back to life, it was time to put her mind at ease. The tea flickered up at her, asking to be drank, and with a startling quickness, Haru obliged its desire. Renji watched in awe as she downed it, and he couldn't help but wonder how she held her sake. Then, resolutely, she crushed the paper cup between her hands. "Never mind; I'll find it myself."

"Chotto matte!" he shouted, getting to his feet and swallowing the lukewarm tea in one gulp. "What if you collapse or something?"

"Is that any of your concern?"

"It is if taichou finds out! He'll run me through!"

"If he asked me not to kill you, then why would he do so himself?" Haru inquired, waving her hand nonchalantly in a definite Urahara-esque manner. "Byakuya-sama is not a hypocrite, and he is seldom self-contradictory. I wouldn't concern myself with it." Her words were meant to alleviate Renji's anxieties, but her reassurance only served to intensify them. Dutifully, he bolted after her, slowing down when he stood just in front of Haru, who seemed so determined to reach her destination that, had all ten espada stood between the two points, she likely would have fought her way through with no regard to her injuries. _At least then, I will have a moment…_

"You're going the wrong way," Renji noted.

"Perhaps I am taking a scenic route."

"Like hell," he retorted, pulling on her arm. "Come on, I'll take you. It's this way."

"Are you certain you should?" Bewildered, Renji's brow rose in silent askance, causing Haru to throw her gaze aside. "I mean… that is to say…"

"Quit thinking about it and just spit it out."

"Last time you were in Byakuya-sama's house, he did not seem too thrilled to have you there… that's all. Even after that, are you certain you wish to cross the threshold?"

"I'm only going 'cause he wanted me to watch you."

"Somehow, I doubt he will believe that," Haru replied, smiling discretely.

"Anyway, why're you so hell-bent on going there, anyway? I thought you wanted to enjoy the weather."

"There is something I must do. Common decency requires it of me, and I like to do it without an audience." Renji didn't ask her to elaborate; something told him she was the type of person that would only do so for one man. So, he contented himself with walking alongside her, hands behind his head and fixed on the sky as her steady steps fell in time with his own. "Byakuya-sama usually finishes his paperwork at noon, so that should give me a little bit of time at least."

"After what happened yesterday, I'd sooner bet on hell freezing over."

"I am not sure what you mean."

"After something big like that happens, there's a shitload of paperwork. That's why I told him I'd work today if he wanted." Some grim tenor laced through Renji's tone, drawing Haru's attention for a moment, though what it was, she could not come to without intense thought. Her steps remained steady until the epiphany struck her and drew a slight discontinuity in them. "You feeling a little faint?"

"Iie… I'm fine," Haru said hastily, for the very thing she heard in his voice was that intuitive sentiment, that underlying notion, the silent protest against Byakuya's clear wish that he be allowed to mourn in whatever manner he saw fit. Like Haru, the frail and injured girl who depended on Byakuya to teach her the ropes, Renji felt it, too. Her mouth filled with the bitter tang of worthlessness; the concern she had for Byakuya, and that Renji had for him as well, would go unexpressed on account of his frowning upon such things. It was the same way the captain undoubtedly looked at dealing with Shimori's death, the same way the quincy and the shimigami looked at dealing with hollows: when the matter was boiled down to its very essence, there truly was no other way. (A brief interjection: I've settled for putting horizontal lines in at scene breaks... even though they bug the hell out of me. I miss my asterisks, damn it! End interlude complaint...)

* * *

Having dealt with the veritable blizzard of paperwork in his office, Byakuya now set his sights towards the uneventful evening stretching before him, but for some reason, he was not looking forward to it. Perhaps Haru's absence had made him testy, or perhaps it was the fact that, after stomaching solitude for so long, he suddenly found himself dependent on her company. The exposure of his neck did nothing to help matters, nor did the anticipation of having nothing to occupy his mind, which would immediately fall to other matters, darker matters, things he had neither the time nor the patience to deal with. Then, there was Renji… no doubt the red-headed shinigami was on the premises somewhere. As soon as he crossed his own threshold, Byakuya sensed his vice captain's reiatsu, subdued yet still very much a notable presence. A second pair of sandals at the door was also a good indicator. _I wonder why the servant did not turn him away at the door…_

The question was answered sooner than he anticipated. His first step inside was greeted by a tumultuous "Kuchiki-sama!" and the immediate dropping of the servant's head. Had he not already had a throbbing headache already, the noble would have massaged his temples, but seeing as he had an audience, he refrained from any such indicator. "My most sincere apologies, but I could not deter him from entering! He said he was ordered by you, Kuchiki-sama, to guard Haru-san. When she ordered me to let him in, I…" He sputtered another apology, bowing so low he nearly fell over, while his master peered curiously at him. "Gomenasai! I will accept any punishment you see fit!"

"No punishment," Byakuya responded in monotone. "Just take me to them." Startled at this sudden lapse of severity, the servant peered at his master for a moment, then, with another bow of understanding, led the Kuchiki down the hall. More surprising still was Byakuya's refusal to let the silence settle in. "Why do you address her in such an informal manner?"

"Nani?"

"You called her 'Haru-san' just now." He considered it for a moment, allowing himself to smile nervously but in a manner that conveyed how pleased he was with himself. "Nande?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, Kuchiki-sama… I honestly do respect Haru-san as my superior and as your guest, but I would like to think she is my friend, too. I hope… you don't think me too ridiculous for saying so." When Byakuya said nothing, he wondered if he should continue or if he should leave it at that. Since he didn't think it right to stay quiet with only their footsteps to break the silence, he gathered up his courage and spoke again. "Haru-san is just one of those people, I guess… she's a little distant at first, then she just opens up like some kind of flower…"

"A lotus," he said with certainty, causing his attendant to glance back briefly. "Haru-kun would be a lotus, if she were a flower."

"Not to argue with you, but I thought she'd be a rose myself, what with the thorns and all. And besides, I thought you liked Chinese bellflowers…"

"What she is does not change what I like, nor do my tastes change what she is. She would be a lotus because she is one radiant and exquisite trace of beauty amongst the mud and mire of everyday existence." He spoke the words as if, beneath his stoic exterior, he was truly in awe over her resilience in the face of tragedy. Nevertheless, Keiji saw no reason to question his judgment, since in actuality, Byakuya was closer to Haru than he would ever be. It was fortune that saved him from having to defend his position, for the moment they turned down a certain corridor, it wasn't hard to spot Renji sitting outside the door with one knee drawn up and an expression that lingered somewhere between boredom and anxiety. Bowing, Keiji quickly struck up the direction he just came from, leaving the two shinigami alone in the hallway. The vice captain was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't even glance up until Byakuya's shadow fell over him.

"T… taichou?"

"May I inquire as to what you are doing in my house, Renji?"

"Just doing what you told me to," he replied, leaning back with a smirk that was far too comfortable.

"Then why is she not here?"

"She is." He casually thrust a thumb to the door at his back. "Said she wanted to be alone for a little while, told me to shut the door on my way out. I think she griped a bit about me sitting outside, something about not trusting her to stay put, but she quit soon enough."

"You should not have let her leave the infirmary, Renji," Byakuya said, the heat rising in his voice.

"All my insisting would've been a waste of breath. She was getting out of there today, with or without your permission." After curling his other knee up, he rolled forward so his weight was on his heels. Then, he stood bolt upright, his eyes level with the top of the Kuchiki's head. "Anyway, seeing as you're back, and knowing you want her all to yourself, I reckon I'll be off, now… that is, if it's okay." One nod of his head was all the more Renji needed. "I can show myself the door… see you tomorrow, taichou." It took a moment for the redhead's footsteps to drift out of earshot, and by the time they finally did, Byakuya lost every ounce of confidence he had.

_I cannot… I cannot just leave her alone, _he thought. At the same time, Byakuya considered the possibility that she wanted nothing more than to be alone after putting up with him for almost a month straight. She could have been doing something important, something too detrimental to interrupt. In the same manner he threw himself at his work, perhaps Haru had done the same thing. Because he stood just outside the room that stored the few books he kept around, it was possible… but still, there remained the possibility that her lack of argument was due solely to the fact that she had collapsed. Eventually, his concern overpowered his reason, and before his courage could shy away again, he pulled the door open.

As it turned out, Byakuya was only partly right. There she was, kneeling before a table with a dozen pages of paper flurried out before her, unconscious. Haru's position was not at all unnatural, however; it appeared she had deliberately fallen asleep. Her head was cradled in her arms, and though her glasses were still on her face, the absence of any evidence indicating her sleep was a product of anything more than an impulse to take a nap, he had to accept it. With careful steps, he crossed the floor, watching her at all times for any sign of movement. None came, not even when he stood over her. It was easy to see how at peace Haru was, just from the placid expression on her face. He allowed himself to smile for a brief moment before shifting his eyes to her right hand, which clutched something or other loosely.

_A pen? _he asked himself, kneeling beside her on the bare wooden floor. _Has she been writing? _Another survey of the table's contents served to verify his suspicions. The paper was covered with writing, a neat and graceful scrawl that spoke volumes on its own. It was undoubtedly produced by the pen in her right hand, for it was written with a pen rather than a brush, something Byakuya seldom used himself. Additionally, the ink, a shade of navy blue, happened to match that of the pen. Intrigued by its form, he chose an arbitrary page and lifted it carefully to better observe the characters.

Habitually, he ran his eyes over them. Only after several sentences did he realize they were the words of a dead man. Startled, Byakuya allowed the sheet to slip from his hand and flutter soundlessly to the ground, his fingers giving a convulsive shiver before he dared to cast his eyes in the direction of the discarded page. Haru gave a sudden stir, causing him to tense, but she was merely adjusting her head on its makeshift pillow, which happened to be his scarf. So touching was the scene that he forgot about his angst for a moment, gingerly removed his captain's haori, and draped it over her shoulders before retrieving the escapee. _This must have been what he said just before… _

A sudden resolve came over him when he glimpsed the number in the top right corner. The one in his hand happened to be three. He collected pages two through fourteen, finding that the first was either hidden or discarded. Besides, the second page seemed to begin the narrative. After glancing to Haru again to make sure she was still sleeping, he began the grueling task. It was strange to read them, and stranger still that he did not write them. Shimori was now and forever incapable of such a task as writing, yet somehow, from beyond his state of death, his voice came into the words, or something nearly identical to it. Even more startling was the fact that Haru had written them, preserved them in a labor of remembrance that in some manner or other gave him life again. When he read them, they took on Shimori's voice in his mind, almost as if his old mentor was standing right beside him and speaking in the tone he gave lessons in.

Around page eight, Haru's breathing changed. For an instant, she paused in her breath. Then, a heavy sigh permeated the silence. Byakuya watched her shift beneath his haori and bury her head deeper into the utter softness of his scarf. Relieved that she again failed to awaken, he continued his task precisely where he left off. This time, no interruption occurred until he was finished, and even after that, all that remained to disrupt him was the steady breathing of a sleeping body. For a moment, Byakuya deemed himself incapable of anything save sitting beside her and quivering slightly as the profound awe and sense of loss worked its way through him.

What kept him from giving in to those emotions was a discovery he hadn't counted on. There, beneath Haru's left elbow, rested what appeared to be the missing first page. As he had when opening the door, Byakuya hesitated but eventually gave in. After all, he had come too far to leave the task unfinished. With a clever and gentle hand, he took hold of that page, pulling it free slowly and with little effort. It surprised him, how light Haru was in sleep. Then again, she lacked the strength to put up much of a fight considering her state of consciousness and her lack of a decent meal since yesterday. Sighing to himself, Byakuya raised the final page to his eyes, the final page that was actually the beginning.

It was composed in a different voice, one that was completely and utterly Haru. Undoubtedly, part of her soul was in the words. _I am fifteen years old. _The age was more of a blatant indicator, but this bit of obviousness did not deter him from continuing:

_I am fifteen years old. At the age of fifteen, I can honestly say I have experienced a lot the world has to offer. My eyes have feasted on death, and I have brought death on the heads of many hollows with my own two hands. I have wallowed in my losses, the deaths of both parents by age seven, and I have mourned the loss of my own existence as a human being. Of all the beings that inhabit this world, I have been one of the few fortunate enough to stand in three worlds at the same time, but with each world came labels, taboos… and each of those three worlds seemed to reject the other two before giving them a chance. And I cannot hate the world for this, nor the people in it, because they do not know any better._

_Even for all the tragedy I have seen in life, both as a human and that which follows, I cannot ignore the light that casts the shadow. There is always some joy in sorrow… one simply has to look for it. Amongst the masses that would judge me critically, there are some that accept my oddity and acknowledge both my halves knowing full well the likely consequences of doing so. With these few precious people, I have shared my happiness. With these people, I have fought and defended the lives of others while desperately trying to grasp some meaning behind my own. With these people, I have shared meals and drank tea, and in those times, the meaning no longer matters, not because it is irrelevant, but because I feel I have some grasp of it. Happiness is as simple as looking up at the moon and the stars and letting the sky swallow you up, to spread one's wings and fly without leaving the things one deems precious behind. Such is my fate: to fly, to rise above heaven. It is the unavoidable, unalterable future. These precious people are the wind beneath my broken wings, and the thought of them will carry me skyward._

_I feel like I have learned a lot about life and the way it works. Being a death god of sorts and having experienced death myself, I certainly know much as to how it ends. Yet just when I feel I understand all the mechanics of prejudice and exclusion exercised against those of my blood, I suddenly find myself doubting the paradigm on which I built my entire life; all because the words of one man, who unfortunately, did not survive to tell others what he has told me. I lend him my voice in the following pages and hope that, in some manner, it serves to become his own. The words he told me on the day he died deserve only to be spoken by him._

_I make no claims of being Shimori's star pupil. I was not his close friend or a student of his at all, not until the end of things. I do, however, know a decent arrangement of words when I hear one, and the words he spoke to me in his dying moments were both evocative and pleasing to the ear. I wish nothing more than to preserve them, to pass them on to whoever is willing to receive them, nurture them, and pass them on without altering the voice of a dead man. "There are no lines," he said to me, and this I believe to be true. Ages ago, there sprang into being a line between quincy and shinigami, but even that line is contradicted, skewed, distorted, even obliterated, by the act of my existence._

_So, there are only lines where people wish to see them._

_This was Shimori's final lesson, the lesson I was both honored and privileged to receive by some turn of fate's hand. It was one of the only things I ever learned from him. That is why I share this lesson: because it is precious to me, and because it deserves to be shared._

There must have been a moment of hesitation before she signed her name and dated the document, yet there it was, in plain, unhesitant handwriting: "Yamashita Haru, the Nineteenth Heir." He mused over it for a moment, glancing to the girl, then to the name. When he glanced back at her a second time, he flinched at the eyes peering at him, those silver-violet orbs walking the non-existent line between curiosity and fascination.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" she inquired casually. For a moment, all he could do was try vainly to analyze her. Having failed, he recomposed himself and spoke the first words that came to mind.

"You should be resting."

"What do you call this?"

"I meant in a bed," he retorted, watching as she lifted her head off the table, pushed herself into an upright position, and stretched her arms. After a yawn managed to escape her, she set herself to rubbing the sleep away from her eyes. It was no use, though… she was still tired, and very much hungry.

"And here, I thought you were finally done underestimating me," Haru stated, examining her host with one weary violet eye. "If you were anyone else, I'd crack your damn skull open for setting foot in here." The casual manner in which she spoke drew a slight shudder from his frame, a small indicator of his vulnerabilities that summoned a smile to Haru's face as she rested her head on the scarf again. "You really shouldn't read things that are not meant for your eyes, Byakuya-sama."

"How was I to know?" Her eyes sharpened for a moment before returning to their placid state. With a sigh of defeat, she shut them and wrapped her arms around her head, burying her cheek in the soft nest of scarf and her own sleeves. "What possessed you to do this, anyway? You had no connection to Shimori that was worth noting."

"Remembrance."

"Once more, Haru-kun… I cannot hear you when you mumble."

"I said remembrance." With difficulty, Haru raised her head again, peering grimly at her host. "He shouldn't have had to die… not because of me."

"Haru-kun…"

"And that is why, at the very least, I thought I should preserve his final lesson." Byakuya allowed her to take the sheet of paper he was holding in his hand and placed it in a stack with the others. "I did not know Shimori-san, not the way his students do, not the way you did, but he struck me as the kind of person that everyone could learn from. This happens to be the knowledge he passed to me." The dull obsidians watched as the papers disappeared into a brown envelope, which Haru sealed and pressed to her chest. "This information is very precious to me, and now that I have written it down, I can allow myself to forget the details, the syntax and diction, the tone in which he spoke. All I need to remember is the sound of his voice and the very essence of that final lesson. To keep it would be selfish, though… I was thinking of giving it to one of his students… probably Hajime-san. The two seemed rather close, like a father and a son more than a student and a pupil."

Haru paused to glance at the noble sitting before her. When she saw the touch of discomfort in his face, she couldn't help but let a reassuring smile cross her face. "Haru-kun, are you certain you wish to give him access to your identity so soon?"

"You have accepted it. To me, that is all that matters." The persistent weariness became too much to bear for a moment. She couldn't quite recall how her head fell to his lap, or how his captain's haori wound up covering her body. For some reason, the memory of his retrieving his scarf escaped her, too. Haru observed him silently, clutching the envelope to her chest, shifting her legs a bit to further compact the overall space she took up. "Byakuya-sama, did you know… Shimori-san was part quincy?"

"Was he?"

"It made me feel close to him at the end of things, almost like a long-lost cousin I never really met. We weren't related, not by blood at least, but still…" In the stillness that followed her abrupt halt, his eyes, clouded with worry and grief, fell away from the distance, abandoned their attempt to decipher the titles in the shelf, and dropped to the girl in his lap.

"Haru-kun, why are you crying?"

"It should have been me," she sobbed, drawing her knees up as the effort of containing herself drew constant shudders from her feeble frame. "I should have been the one that died, not Shimori-san… his only crime was existing… existing and dreaming, and we're all guilty of that in some way or another, but I am more guilty than most because… just… just now… I was happy… happy that it was him and not you…" Whether it was exhaustion or hunger that drove her so far from the composure Byakuya had grown used to, he knew not. All he knew was the burning in his own chest, an overwhelming desire to comfort her. Gingerly, he removed her glasses, pinning her with his gaze as he set them on the table. Incapable of anything else, Haru watched as they came to a rest, her eyes tearing despite her attempt at composure.

"Haru-kun, I understand how you feel, but if I had lost you…" The rest of the words obstinately refused to come. Bowing his head, he threw his gaze in a corner until he could compose himself. The very thought that he could lose her caused him fear too intense to describe. His visible fingers twitched, curling themselves around his knee as a foreign glimmer came into his eye. Haru watched him fight it off before it grew to the point of controlling him. He flinched as her hands found his knees, as the weight of her head left his lap, as the wild, unrestrained hair fell into her eyes only to part when she raised her eyes to his own. Once his steady fingers wiped her tears away, they raced along a tress of her hair. "You should really think about keeping it down."

"Not a chance," she replied, managing a crafty smile. "It would be too much of a distraction for some people." A faint trace of amusement darted through his eyes at her implication, accompanied by a smile that was restrained before it broke through.

"And by some people, you are insinuating me?"

"Not just you… I would find it troublesome as well. Besides, I think you would get jealous if other men were to direct their attentions at me."

"What an outlandish idea," he retorted, eyes flashing as she leaned closer. There was no escaping her scrutiny.

"You are a terrible liar, Kuchiki Byakuya," she said triumphantly, drawing a trace of surprise into his gaze. "What's with that look, hmm?"

"Should you really… be exerting so much energy?" he asked. "Remember your health, Haru-kun… I have no desire to return you to the infirmary so soon." She considered it for a moment, then drew away, folding her hands in her lap as a submissive smile crept over her expression. "A picture of innocence, even after seeing death with your own eyes." he murmured, brushing his fingertips along her cheek. "I fear I will never fully understand you, Haru-kun."

"There is still time," she reassured him, leaning into his touch. "Unless you would rather I leave." For some reason, Byakuya felt a trace of anger working in his heart. That she would still have doubts about him only added to his already immense frustration. Then, he recalled her past, her various trials and tribulations, and by those he knew about alone, he deduced that her doubts were entirely justified. His hand raced down the length of her hair again, memorizing the texture, yet like so many pieces of Haru's past, he knew it was best appreciated when hidden.

"Haru-kun." Questioning eyes fluttered open, locking on his own. "Turn around."

"If you intend to assault my back, I must politely request that you don't. It is still a little sore from yesterday."

"If that was my intent, I would have simply reached around you." When his eyes did not resent this sudden and inexplicable request, Haru could only sigh and do as she was told. She couldn't help but be a little anxious now that her back was turned to him. In the end, her trust outweighed her fear, and she sat patiently with her hands on her knees, tensing when she felt his breath against the back of her neck. "Did I hurt you?"

"Iie," she responded, trying to fight off the blush rising to her cheeks and the slight quiver working its way through her shoulders. The sensation of him nuzzling the back of her head was almost unbearable, and even more unbearable still is the fact that he suddenly drew away. She heard a rustle, as if he was searching for something. Curiosity nearly drew her gaze, thwarted by her determination to be obedient for the first time in a long time. Once the sound died away, leaving only their gentle breaths to disrupt the silence, Byakuya began the difficult process of gathering her hair. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"You will see."

"You aren't going to cut it, are you?"

"Why would I willingly part with something I enjoy?" To prove his point, he ran his fingers through the mass he had gathered. "Besides, Hisana kept her hair short. It is yet another facet of you I take pleasure in."

"You mean other than torturing me every morning?" Haru shifted when he remained silent, causing the two tendrils Byakuya had neglected to gather to sway slightly. "Byakuya-sama, may I ask you something personal?"

"I suppose I will allow it." Haru nodded her head in thanks and fell silent for a moment as he continued to manipulate her hair. Then, in a moment of boldness, she allowed the question to burst from her lungs.

"Do you still… do you still love Hisana?" If gathering the courage was awkward, it paled in comparison to the silence that followed. Still, his hands only stopped moving for an instant. "Gomenasai… I should not have asked."

"Iie… I am just not sure how to answer your question," he responded. Haru wished she could see his face, but she had to settle for gazing at his shadow. "As clichéd as it sounds, a part of me will always love Hisana, and the memories she left behind for me. Even so, those memories grow more and more distant everyday, and I cannot help but remember her wish that I find happiness in the shadow of her passing."

"If you are uncomfortable talking about this…"

"Do not be so hasty in drawing conclusions, Haru-kun. If I felt uncomfortable, I would not have spoken in the first place."

"O… of course not," she replied, still curious as to what he was doing.

"I merely think it unwise to dwell in the past when the present has its share of interesting things to offer." Haru leaned forward slightly, trying hard not to show her elation. It was kept at bay by the curious feeling that, suddenly, her hair was no longer free but restrained in the manner she usually kept it. Something gently fell between her shoulder blades, and quite suddenly, Byakuya's hands appeared in her peripheral vision, laying the ends of something over her shoulders. Unable to restrain herself any longer, she took whatever it was between her fingers, marveling at the silver ribbon that slid between them. A pair of arms wound their way around her shoulders, drawing her back against his chest. "I thought it suited you better than gold," he murmured into her ear. "It really brings out the silver in your eyes. Consider it a get well soon present."

"Byakuya-sama, it was not necessary… I cannot possibly…" But there it was again, the breath against her neck that conveyed all too well his disappointment. "Baka," she muttered, wrapping her hands around his wrists. "Do not mistake my modesty for refusal or ingratitude. It's just… I am not used to receiving any material favors beyond my usual stipend, and emotionally… well, you can surmise my situation without me having to explain it." For some reason, the comment caused his grip to tighten and somehow draw her closer than she already was. The pair basked in a well-deserved moment of silent contentment… until a loud snarl scattered the remnants of the moment. "Gomenasai… I suppose I am a little hungry."

"What kind of host would I be if I starved my guest?" he inquired, taking hold of his captain's haori and pulling it over his shoulders as he stood. "Dinner should be ready soon. Would you like me to escort you to the dining room?" Her desire could be understood without words just by the pressure of her hand clutching his own as he helped the unsteady girl to her feet. Haru paused to retrieve her glasses and the envelope containing a dead man's words in her own writing. Then, with the parchment pressed to her chest, she dutifully followed the Kuchiki, shutting the door behind her. "Haru-kun."

"Hai?" she responded.

"I have some business to take care of tomorrow morning, so I will have to leave you."

"Why can I not come with you?" Her tone demanded an answer, a justification of this sudden decision to shut her out. At its very essence was the way it offended her. Surprised Haru still possessed the energy to be angry, Byakuya heaved a sigh and delivered his response.

"You must have lost more than blood if you would voluntarily go to a funeral." Suddenly, the grim note in his tone could be explained. She let her argument die away as they marched to dinner, Byakuya with almost military rigidity, Haru with a somnolent poise. The future was already clear in her mind: the nightly routine, followed by a difficult night of sleeping. In the morning, the sun would inevitably rise, though it would touch one less than it had two mornings before. A corpse would be buried, and then a greater burial would begin to take place, the burial of memories.

A morning funeral, a millisecond of remembrance in the vast expanse of time, somehow justified a lifetime of forgetting, but that in itself was understandable. There were other lessons to be learned, and other teachers to teach him. _No, _Haru resolved, matching her steps with Byakuya's and gazing at the black roku on his captain's haori. _It may have been his final lesson, and I will always treasure it for what it is, but my current position requires me to keep learning. Shimori's final lesson, yes… _ The steady rhythm of her footsteps broke for a moment, fortunately going unnoticed by a preoccupied Byakuya. _ But it will not be mine._

* * *

Whew… another one bites the dust. Man, this thing is getting to be a monstrosity… but as long as people are enjoying it, I'll keep writing… until the end. Regretfully, I must now torture you with another of my extremely limited Japanese lessons…

Kuso : Japanese expletive. Glee and such!

Arigato-gonzaimasu : Formal expression of thanks

Nani : What

Chotto matte : Wait a moment/minute/other short interval of time

Kodomo : Kid (according to Babelfish)

Wari : My bad, a highly informal apology.

Hai : Yes

Nandesuka : What is it

Iie : No

Gomenasai : Formal apology

Nande : Why

And I'm back to using a truckload and a half of Japanese… go me! It is my sincere hope that you thoroughly enjoyed the chapter. Depending on how next week goes, I should have another one up! Until then, happy trails, and thanks for reading!


	19. Chapter 19: Suffering

Chapter 19: Forgetting

A/N: Happy 8,000th hit!! That's right… my lowly little fanfiction has had 8,000 hits… I feel so loved… tears So, I promised you guys a chapter this week, and here it is. I'm tired, irritated with a certain person I talk to on the internet… I usually rant to him when I'm peeved, but how can I rant to him if he's never on and he's the reason I'm so ticked? Anyway, enough about my issues with internet buddies… it's almost the end of the semester! Only three more to go after this… though it's looking like I won't survive fall. Four English classes plus a music class… I'm going to die… X.X'

I have a short a/n this time for the following reasons: I'm tired, I'm tired, and this chapter was originally 30 pages long… so I split it in half… you'll just have to wait for the rest of it until next week. I'm going on vacation, soon, so I'll probably post two next week. Until then, I'll focus on not being on vacation and deliver the usual thanks to my readers, reviewers, stalkers (watchers… XP), favoriters, favorite-author-ers, and everyone else who needs a bit of thanks to brighten their days. Flamy-chan is still working on her picture… she hasn't forgotten. It gleams and is coming along very nicely. I'll have her send me a link and post it as soon as it's done. And without further ado, here is the nineteenth installment. Yay for label-changing… XP

* * *

_Chapter 19: Suffering_

It was by habit that Haru awoke before dawn, huddling closer to the warm mass beside her and sighing contentedly. Since throwing herself down on the futon after dinner and a bath, the entirety of reality had become nothing more than a meaningless oblivion. Consciousness goaded her out of this suspended state, drawing her eyes open to focus on the still dozing Kuchiki. Yet his usual peaceful look was tainted by an underlying grief, a dark shadow that nearly turned his ivory skin to ebony. With difficulty, she managed to escape his grasp and sit up, pushing her lengthy hair out of her eyes to get a closer look. Then, she realized, he wasn't sleeping at all. The grim realization came over her expression rather quickly, and she threw her shameful gaze to the corner. "Gomenasai, Byakuya-sama… it was not my intention to wake you." His hand found hers beneath the covers and conveyed silent understanding. Haru couldn't help the smile that spread over her expression when his fingers laced through hers. "Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I could say the same for you," he responded.

"I suppose I have slept enough; that, and my condition necessitates that I move at least every five hours or so."

"It has been at least ten."

"Don't I know it?" With a slight groan, Haru threw her arms into the air, pulling them back as far as they could go to stretch of the remaining haze of her fatigue before collapsing on her pillow and staring at the ceiling. After a moment of stillness, she turned her back one way, then the other, and settled back on her right side to gaze at Byakuya. "You must admit, this is rather ironic."

"What is?"

"The fact that both of us can sleep in, and yet we both wake up close to the usual time."

"It is seven in the morning. That is sleeping in."

"I am not sure about you, Byakuya-sama, but I do not consider a half an hour to be sleeping in." She wore a smile when she spoke those words, even though there was no smile in her eyes. Suddenly, it faded, leaving behind that same profound sense of loss that lingered inside of him. His sentiments, manifested in her expression… it was a painful sight to behold. If only for a moment, it took his mind of the trying events of the morning. Byakuya watched in silent observation as her eyes began to fall shut again.

"Go back to sleep, Haru-kun," he whispered, pressing his lips briefly against her temple and moving to abandon his futon to begin preparations for the day, but he never got there. Obstinately, she dove forward and laced her arms around his waist, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "Did you think a night's sleep would change my mind?" he asked, trying to rid himself of her grasp. "I will go alone."

"Byakuya-sama, you should rest a little while longer."

"I do not require it."

"Onegai?" she pleaded, resting her cheek against his leg. With a groan of submission, Byakuya removed himself from her grasp and dove back under the blankets, drawing the girl close enough to feel her heartbeat, which quickened when his hands began their exploration. "Byakuya-sama…"

"Still sleeping," he replied, relishing every gasp and whimper he drew from her lungs. Haru fidgeted as she huddled against his chest, trying to remain as still as she could despite the treatment she was being given. When he tired of this, he simply sighed and consumed with every part of himself the joy he took in her company, watching with his dark eyes as curiosity overwhelmed her. Then, with startling gentleness, Byakuya wrapped a hand around her shoulder and pushed her onto her back, adjusting his own position so his weight was on his other hand and he was leaning over her. It was the same position they had been in the night before, only this time, he could see her face clearly, and this time, she could feel his bare knee sitting against one of her own. "Are you afraid?"

"Of you, no… of what you may do, perhaps." Haru's face reddened, and she tore her eyes from his, not wanting to acknowledge the hunger in them. Obsidian locks brushed against her cheek, then against her neck, finally drawing her attention to the dark orbs lingering just above her own. Expectantly, Haru allowed her eyes to fall shut only to have them fly open at the sound of a knock at the door. The haste with which Byakuya moved was amazing. He sat bolt upright, hastily straightening his sleeping kimono and folding his hands in his lap. His face moved to the window before the door even opened, at which point Keiji walked in with the usual morning tea. Haru tried to pull herself together as she sat up, pushing her lengthy nutmeg hair behind her ears and unveiling an unsettled blush. "Yare yare, Haru-san… did I interrupt something?"

"Of course not," she responded, smiling as casually as she could. "What would you be interrupting?" Something subtle in his smile implied it was not to be mentioned explicitly in front of Byakuya, so he simply set the tray down and exited without speaking again. Byakuya, ignoring the sudden jesting display of camaraderie between the two, which served to justify Keiji's familiar manner of addressing his guest, he filled the cups and handed one to Haru. Thereupon, she set about the task of examining the cup's contents, the pale white liquid with a tint of pink. The scent was familiar yet exotic, the taste weak compared to what they normally drank, yet relaxing and refreshing. A sweetness that was almost completely overpowered by mere white tea permeated her mouth once she swallowed.

Byakuya gave a slight smile at her bewilderment, watched her as she tried the tea again, and, seeking some sort of conclusion, threw her gaze at her moderately amused host. "It is pomegranate," he responded, rotating the cup between his hands before indulging. "I have not had pomegranate tea for a long time… not since I was a student at the academy." Suddenly, Haru glanced at the cup as if its contents were a plague. When she set it down, she cast her shameful eyes at the ground. "Nandesuka?"

"You are suffering, aren't you?"

"I am not sure what you mean," Byakuya replied calmly, taking another sip.

"Why else would you get nostalgic about your days at the academy? Hisana's death made you suffer, too… that is why you told me about her." Anxiety made Haru's hands grip the air, but it was empty; Suzaku was in her own room, where she had placed her sword before going through the pains of her own remembrance the night before. He was waiting, waiting with the knowledge that there was more to be said. She gathered her courage for the sake of not making him impatient and continued. "Somehow, I feel I am responsible for this. Gomenasai, Byakuya-sama… for making you suffer. I… I fear forgiveness is too great a favor to ask for."

He wavered on the verge of indecision, as he often did when showing any sort of affection for her. It was always her age that did it, the thought of those fifteen little years in comparison with his own vast lifetime… the length of the two could hardly be compared. Still, it only preoccupied him for a moment. Startled by the sudden feeling of his hands against her cheeks, Haru glanced upward to be greeted by his lips pressing against her own. After a moment, the shock wore off, and her eyes drifted shut, but by then, Byakuya had pulled away. "I do not blame you for what happened, and if anyone else does, I will knock some sense into them myself."

"But that arrancar came for my blood, not his!"

"Do not argue with me," he responded, using that same calm and distant tone. "I do not want you overexerting yourself. The emotional strain is likely not good for your body." Helpless beneath his logic, Haru sighed and pulled away, returning to the task of drinking tea. "May I ask you a favor?"

"Certainly."

"When I leave, I want you to lie down and get some rest."

"I'm not tired."

"I never said you had to sleep," he replied, drinking his tea with greater speed. "I simply want to make sure I do not come home to find you collapsed again like I did yesterday."

"Demo…"

"The paperwork… Renji and I can handle it."

"Demo…"

"Enough," Byakuya said firmly, taking Haru's empty cup from her and gently pushing her onto her back. "I refuse to enlist your help until you are fully healed. That should motivate you to do so as quickly as possible."

"Demo…" Haru insisted for the third time, but any further argument was silenced by his lips.

"Do not ask me to refrain from worrying about you, Haru-kun, as I will do so regardless of your wishes," he murmured as he drew away. Haru's eyes watched him move about the room, gathering various articles of clothing from well-organized closets and drawers, retrieving his scarf and kenseikan, and then disappearing for a considerable stretch before reappearing in full shinigami garb. "I will return at dinnertime. Until then, rest well."

"Hai," she replied, though some part of her felt a condescending touch of irritation with his sudden concern regarding her physical condition. The Kuchiki heir disappeared after that, leaving nothing but a few faint traces of reiatsu and some memories behind. Haru concerned herself with both at the moment, turning over and drawing the covers about her as she let her mind succumb to deep thought. _Byakuya-sama… you seem unaffected by all of this, and yet… and yet… your reiatsu, and that look in your eyes… they both speak of profound grief. _Frustrated, she threw her weight until she came to rest on her other side. _Wounded… we both are from your obstinate, unbreakable composure. I understand why you cannot show your true face, but why not with me? _A heavy sigh left her, and she burrowed deeper into the covers, inhaling his scent and allowing her eyes to droop shut. _Troublesome… you embody that word perfectly, Kuchiki Byakuya._

* * *

It was a small gathering of people, dressed in black. Very few shinigami bothered to attend the funeral of Shimori simply because he was not a prominent figure. Some captains, frustrated by the sudden influx of paperwork, refrained from attending not because of their burdensome workload, but because they deemed themselves distant enough to refrain from doing so. Close friends were allowed to pay their respects first, and shinigami who had studied directly under him in their time at the academy. Perhaps that was why Byakuya felt obligated to be there. He reflected on his time as a student, upon Shimori's various lessons, but one particular discussion stuck out in his mind, a complaint he had come to Shimori with one day when tutorage was the farthest thing from their minds. "My, my… I'm a little surprised to see you here, Kuchiki-san. What's the occasion?"

Byakuya had learned to tolerate the familiar title under Shimori's insistence that, while he was a pupil, he would have to earn distinction through ability, which, thus far, had not been a problem. "Why do you bother with people who have no class?" From over his cup of tea, there glimmered a subdued flash in his eyes. Calmly, he set the tea aside and gazed critically at the noble for a moment.

"Is there someone in particular you'd like to mention?" The gentility in his instructor's tone made him feel ashamed, but no ounce of his conscience appeared. Instead, he wore the self-created mask of stoicism that he always showed the world. "Kuchiki-san, you have been my pupil for a long time, now… very soon, you shall ascend to the upper class. Your kidou is outstanding, your hand-to-hand impeccable, your swordsmanship a perfect combination of grace and power, but you still have much to learn."

"Like?"

"Like how to control that ego of yours," Shimori said, smiling as he sipped his tea. "You come from a refined background, undoubtedly. The Kuchiki name is renowned in Soul Society. In my classroom, however, such facts are trivial and meaningless."

"But why?" Byakuya demanded, clearly exasperated. The understanding smile faded for a moment, but one sip of tea brought it rushing back. He seemed to be considering the matter, so the young Kuchiki made his best attempt at patience. "Why should people outside of seireitei be admitted to the academy and educated on an equal level with twenty-eighth generation nobility? Shimori-sensei, I do not understand your logic."

"No logic," Shimori replied, glancing up at the ceiling of his office, his eyes projecting a clear strip of sky onto it. "Just a way of perceiving things." In his usual manner, Shimori left it at that, dismissing Byakuya with an apology, using personal business as justification. He hadn't grasped a bit of it, not until he met Hisana. Then, he understood in a naïve, childlike manner the meaning behind Shimori's riddle, yet he himself would not have been able to adequately explain it to someone else. Like a child, he forgot before he remembered again, as was the case when Haru dropped into his life. Now, it was clear to him, the meaning behind those words. Shimori saw beyond every boundary society erected for the sake of preserving that same society. Paradoxical as it was, Byakuya now felt he could explain it if asked, no thanks to Haru's ingenious preservation of that final lesson. There were no lines…

But Shimori had, in one sense, been wrong. There was one line, one inevitable line: the line between life and death. It existed in the human world and in Soul Society, and now, Byakuya felt the void of separation weigh particularly heavily on him, because Shimori was on one side of the line, and all the people he had left behind on the other. Once it was crossed, there was no going back. Despair's hand seemed to grip him, but only momentarily. He was approaching the shrine where the coffin was laid out. Once everyone had paid their final respects, it would be hauled to the graveyard and buried. A familiar figure caught his attention, standing in the shadows with his arms folded impatiently. "What are you doing here?" he demanded in a quiet tone, glancing incredulously at his vice captain.

"I reckon the old man tried pretty hard to teach me kidou… invested a lot of time. I didn't learn a damn thing from him, but since I appreciated the effort, I thought I'd drop by to pay my last respects. Is… that okay, taichou?"

"Fine." They then proceeded forward, Renji trailing behind Byakuya with his usual rebellious devotion. Without hesitation, he slid the door open, inhaling the strong scent of incense lit within. Already, he could feel the somewhat piercing glare of one student or other on him; clearly, he had not been forgiven for his transgressions, but it made no difference. He was not making an appearance for their sakes, though he silently acknowledged his gratitude that, since Shimori had no family to guard his coffin while the last respects were being paid, his more advanced students voluntarily did so. His footsteps were steady, followed by those of his vice captain as he crossed the small room, standing before the closed coffin and resting his arms at his sides and his body rigid with composure. Shimori's eyes were so bright in the picture sitting atop it, he half expected the man to jump out of the frame. It was the kind of futile hope Byakuya despised so much.

_You taught me much in your time, _he mused, losing himself in how foolish it was to address the dead, much less with a silent voice. _Giving everyone chances they may or may not have deserved… I will never understand your passionate love for education, for drawing out the best in everyone. _Intensely, he stared at the image, his face set in complete composure. _Even from where you are now, you are still teaching. To think your final lesson was given to the heir of a quincy family… _Had it not been for the grim atmosphere and the company in the room, he would undoubtedly have given some sign of his amusement. _I suppose you were right… my ego is rather hopeless._

Byakuya wanted so many things: an answer, a reassuring sign, the gripping hand of despair to plague someone, anyone but him. They were all wishes that would undoubtedly go unanswered. His breath escaped quicker than the speed at which he was willing to release it, bordering a mournful sigh. Other than that moment, he showed no emotion, none save in his eyes, which were covered with a shadow of fortitude that dammed his anguish. Years had reduced their relationship to almost nothing, even if Byakuya always went to Shimori when the pressures of family life or academia grew too great to bear. _Arigato, Shimori-sensei… for educating those that bear the torch of future hope, regardless of where they have come from. _Decisively, he bent his head the slightest bit. Then, with the same composure, he crossed the room without acknowledging anything other than the door.

"Heartless bastard…"

"Tomo-chan…" Tatsuo warned, meeting Byakuya's leer when it fell in their direction.

"He's only pretending to care."

"Tomo-senpai, please… not today." Under normal circumstances, Hajime would have chimed in, but he was preoccupied with another matter. At the sight of the stoic captain, his eyes sprang to life, and he began to approach.

"Matte, Kuchiki-taichou," he requested, receiving an equally unsettling look from Renji, who had rushed his farewell to appease his captain.

"What is it?"

"Is… is Tokazawa-san doing all right?"

"She is resting," he responded. "I did not want her overexerting herself, so I told her to stay home. I hope you understand."

"Of course. Her health is more important than her last respects. He would have wanted it that way." His voice quavered when he referred to his deceased teacher, so instead of succumbing entirely to his sentiments, Hajime bowed his head and quickly retreated, allowing Byakuya and Renji to exit without further interruption.

"Man, I'm glad that's over," Renji sighed once they were out of earshot. "The atmosphere in there's pretty heavy, taichou. I got a little teary at the end…"

"Renji," he interrupted, casting a stone cold glance over his shoulder that could have frozen fire and actually did freeze the redhead where he stood. "Take the day off." Byakuya waited for some sign of comprehension, and when he received none, he simply continued on his way.

"E…eh?" Renji cried when he had taken three steps. "Who are you, and what the hell have you done with Kuchiki-taichou?"

"What makes you think I am an imposter?"

"Because the real Kuchiki Byakuya'd never let me have a day off." He considered the matter for a moment before turning away again.

"Take the day off," he repeated.

"But… but taichou…"

"I will handle the paperwork myself."

"You'll never get it done! There's just so damn much of it!"

"Go home." Though there was no change in his tone, Byakuya clearly meant what he said. It took a lengthy amount of time for Renji to move, since his voice was just as chilling as his gaze. Then, he sputtered a handful of expletives and took up a divergent road.

"Damn asshole… the hell does he think he is? Not even showing grief at a funeral… I'd pummel the bastard if I could…" When the words did nothing to make him feel better, he locked his arms behind his head and gazed up at the sky, still pale, still clear, and still so blue. "Do you have to lock it all inside, taichou? Seriously… kind of makes me worry a bit… I can't even imagine how frustrated she is…" That was when a fortuitous idea worked its way into his mind, something to make him forget his frustration for a moment and which provided him with the perfect way of expending his free time. Without wasting another moment in deliberation or thought, he shot briskly in the direction of chance's choosing. After all, what Byakuya didn't know couldn't hurt him.

* * *

"Haru-san, please… go back inside." A nonchalant, unthreatened glance was all he received from the shinigami, who sat in the garden beneath a sakura tree with her legs tucked beneath her and a cup of tea in her hand. Despite Byakuya's request that she attempt to rest, all attempts had been futile, so she was dressed in full uniform as if it was a normal day. Her eyes fell slowly shut between her glasses, and Suzaku was leaning against her left shoulder, her only company besides the anxious servant. "If Kuchiki-sama finds out you were out of bed, he'll kill me!"

"As if I would let him," Haru responded, sipping her tea thoughtfully as she watched the clouds roll by. "Besides, I think I know the limits of this body, or most of them, anyway. The fresh air and sunlight are doing wonders."

"But Haru-san…" She was not to be deterred, however. It was clear from the contentment on her face that Haru refused to budge. Defeated, Keiji collapsed to the ground and hung his head, musing over what fate his master would deal to him, wondering if he would be allowed to die quickly.

"Keiji-san, you do not appear so well yourself. Why don't you have a cup of tea?"

"It will be my last," he sighed, reaching for the pot but being denied his wish when Haru lifted it and poured him a cup. Dumbfounded by her independence, he awkwardly accepted it from her hands and raised it to his lips.

"I remember when Ishi-nii was still here," she stated, sipping contently, "that there was something you wished to discuss with me. I know it was a considerable time ago, but do you recall precisely what it was you desired to address?" Keiji's expression, set with determination, was certainly a side of him Haru never thought she would see. His intense eyes were fixed on his own reflection in his cup, searching as if the liquid itself would disclose his secrets. As he glanced up, they softened, became a little less overbearing, and peered at her in silent askance.

"Haru-san," he murmured. "I have to ask… why are you still, you know… sleeping with him?" He expected her reaction to be a bit more radical than a bewildered blink. Nonetheless, despite his clear embarrassment, Keiji cleared the other meaning of the words from his mind before continuing. "Gomenasai… I shouldn't have asked… it isn't my business."

"I took no offense to it," Haru reassured him.

"It's just… after Hisana-san died… he… he shut the world out. Not that he did not maintain distance between himself and the world as it was, but… but now he's let you in, and I can't help but wonder what that means."

"Sometimes, I wonder how much he has let me in. After this morning…" A tinge of pink worked its way into her cheeks, catching the servant's attention and causing him to tilt his head incredulously. "Keiji-san, have you ever gotten close enough to Byakuya-sama to truly see his eyes, to analyze every fragment of color and light in them? There are so many things buried in those eyes, unspeakable things like grief or lust or regret… heaven only knows what sort of torture that man is putting himself through, what invisible scars he still harbors on his soul." She paused, glancing to Keiji to gauge his reactions, and finding nothing but startled admiration, she continued. "I know what he is feeling. The sentiment itself escapes all names, but still… there are words to describe it."

"Haru-san…" Keiji murmured, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Do you think… Kuchiki-sama will come back tonight?"

"Why wouldn't he?"

"When Hisana died, he didn't come home for three days… he just walled himself up somewhere and buried himself in work. Ukitake-san was the one that found him, passed out in a remote corner of his office." Suddenly, Unohana's warning made a lot more sense to her. She sipped her tea thoughtfully, draining her cup before pouring another. "I know he counts your presence as one of the highest quality therapies there are. Still, that may not be enough… Shimori-san was his teacher and mentor… something like a father to him." He studied Haru as her worry grew. A nagging regret overwhelmed him and compelled him to offer reassurance. "He'll be all right… he always is, Haru-san."

"You can say that again." Yet that voice threw even greater anxiety onto Keiji's shoulders. He visibly quivered, and slowly turned around to face the visitor.

"A—Abarai-san!"

"Renji-san?" Haru asked with uncertainty. Their conversation had grown so intense, neither of them had noticed the redhead's arrival.

"Yo," he said, raising his hand nonchalantly and seating himself without so much as an invitation.

"Abarai-san, please… I'm begging you to leave. If Kuchiki-sama finds out you were here without invitation…"

"You act like he's an executioner by profession," Haru said, nodding her head slowly in dismay before looking to Renji. "What is your business here?"

"No business, Kodomo. Just dropping by to see if you were still breathing."

"What do you take me for, a pushover? And kindly refrain from calling me 'kodomo.' I have a name, you know…"

"And I told you to quit that formal shit, but you haven't let that go, so until you do, it's Kodomo." Keiji shuddered again at the venom in Haru's eyes, but she put her will to attack into a sigh and raised her cup to her lips, sipping her tea with delicate care. Remnants of her anger burned in the air, and Renji was grinning like a fox to see he had gotten a rise out of her. His eyes fell to her left wrist, which she seemed intent on guarding against his eyes. "Oy, what's that?"

"What? Oh, this." Haru abandoned eye contact and pulled her sleeve down. "An old heirloom."

"Ch… like I'd by that," Renji retorted, seizing her left arm with vigor. Fear shot through every part of Keiji's body, not only at the boldness of their unwelcome guest, but also at the glimmer that rushed through the violet eyes. With stunning speed, Haru seized her zanpakutoh and took a swing in his direction, knocking him flat on his back with a blow to the head that nearly threw him from consciousness. "The hell was that for?" he demanded, sitting up and holding his head. The words came through teeth clenched with pain. "Damn… what'd I do to deserve that?"

"Gomen, Renji-san… you only startled me." Haru breathed a sigh and returned to drinking her tea, trying not to let her eyes give away too much of her trepidation. Once his gaze came back into focus, he could properly see the metallic object wrapped around her wrist, a silver chain from which hung a pendant. It glistened in the sunlight, winking at him as his pain was overcome by confusion. All the while, the silvery eyes watched his reaction, searching for any trace of disgust, but none ever permeated his utter lack of comprehension. Suddenly, his hands shot forward, seizing her by her hakama and drawing her forward so her eyes were level with his.

"Abarai-san!"

"The hell… just what the hell are you?" he demanded. Haru stayed surprisingly calm in light of her situation. She raised the tea to her lips again, sipping it thoughtfully before responding.

"Isn't it obvious?" For some reason, her composure settled him, and he released the girl without further argument.

"You've sure as hell got some strange skeletons in your closet."

"I'm sick of hiding it. That's all," Haru responded, sipping her tea again. "This cross belonged to my father when he was alive. I only wear it for good fortune."

"Looks like it's broke," Renji noted, eyeing the empty ring at in the center from which something would have hung.

"How astute of you… it probably happened the night he died." There was some heavy quality in her voice that cautioned him against pushing the issue further. Keiji, on the other hand, peered curiously at the cross and then to the zanpakutoh.

"If you don't mind me asking, you are a shinigami, right?"

"Who's to say?" Haru inquired. "I cannot see my spirit thread."

"You telling me you can fire kidou and crack people's skulls open and all that complicated stuff, but you can't do something so simple as see your spirit thread?"

"It isn't just me, Renji-san… no one can see it. Urahara-sensei tried, Aizen tried… even Ishi-nii tried… it is no good. Demo…" Haru shifted her position a bit, stretching her arms and throwing her gaze skyward. "Knowing would do me no good. It changes nothing, not the fact that I'm living in the house of Kuchiki Byakuya, not the fact that I will one day be a member of the Gotei 13, nor will it change my aims." Her eyes darkened considerably as her hand blocked the sun and closed around it. "One day, I will rise above that sky, rise above heaven itself. Then, maybe people will start taking me seriously." A tan palm pressed against her forehead heavily.

"Fine, fine, rise above heaven," Renji retorted, "but you might want to grow a little more first."

"Are you insinuating that I am short?"

"I certainly ain't saying you're tall." The fury etched into her expression summoned droves of amusement within him, which lingered for a moment before giving way to a deep-rooted concern. "Hey… if you're planning to leave, you'd better do it soon." Her brows fell together in concentration. "You'll break his heart if you wait too much longer."

"As much as I hate to agree with Abarai-san, he is right," Keiji offered. "Something tells me he thinks of you as a permanent resident rather than a temporary guest. What's more, you're not just important to him anymore. You're vital." She considered it for a moment, forcibly bound to earth by the hand on her head. Gently, she wrapped her own hands around Renji's wrist and pushed it aside. In her eyes, there shone an intense gravity that, considering the light-heartedness of Renji's presence, served to dampen the overall mood considerably.

"I can rise above heaven just fine from where I am standing."

"Makes no sense to me," Renji retorted. "You're still too short to reach it."

"What I'm saying is that until I am given a genuinely good and legitimate reason to leave this house, I will remain. I cannot in good conscience leave that man alone; regardless of what that means to other people, I know it means a lot to him." The chain of her memento chimed a gentle encouragement as she rose to her feet, her sword hanging from her right hand, the white ribbon hanging just above the ground. "If, however, you find my presence or my heritage disagreeable, Renji-san…"

"As long as you're not against Soul Society, I don't really give a damn who your parents were."

"But you did not come here to interrogate me about my heritage. Am I correct in this assumption?" His eyes burned with silent conflict. He hated being told how he was feeling, especially when the one doing the talking was more right than he was. "Shouldn't you be doing paperwork?"

"Kuchiki-taichou… told me to take the day off."

"Nani?" Keiji cried woefully.

"Why would he do that?" Haru inquired.

"Hell if I know, but if I'm right, he just wants to forget." The violet eyes sharpened considerably at his hypothesis, and a faint glimmer of reiatsu, once invisible, now burned with the power of a thousand infernos. It crept about like a gold haze with a life of its own, like a smoke with the scent of raw intensity, a chilling gleam that took away all power to think or speak. Then, it was gone. Keiji doubled up and gasped for breath, while Renji looked incredulously at the girl, stunned that she was holding in so much power. Her eyes moved to the servant, seeking his own but being denied by the bangs hanging into them.

"He isn't coming back tonight, is he, Renji-san?"

"H—he didn't mention an overnighter, but considering how much paperwork there is after something like this happens…" Haru listened intently, noting the way his tone carried the slightest bit of a shudder. "I'd be willing to bet he doesn't plan on it."

"Souka…" she murmured. Her foot rose, then struck the ground a short distance away. Its twin followed suit, and soon, she was carrying herself across the garden with purposeful steps. "Forgive me, Keiji-san… I hope I did not injure you."

"Where are you going?" he asked, suddenly gaining control over himself. A heavy coating of sweat covered his brow, and his eyes looked as though they had been watering due to some allergy, or the inability to breathe.

"If he will not come home, I will simply have to make him."

"But Haru-san…"

"Renji-san, I am well aware I am no superior of yours. I hardly consider myself a shinigami, so I will instead give you some advice instead of an order."

"Haru-san… please do not be rash!"

"Stay away from Soukyoku hill. I have a feeling things are going to get more serious than I would have them. Who knows? I may have even have to use dai ni keitai on him."

"That sounds painful…" Keiji said woefully.

"Hold on a second… you ain't really going to fight him, are you?"

"That is precisely what I intend to do," Haru replied, pulling her hakama open to reveal the white layer underneath.

"But you're injured! You can't possibly beat him!"

"While that is not my objective, it will give me a chance to strategize in case I ever get the chance to defeat him." Haru's eyes flashed dangerously behind her glasses as she turned back to them. "If I recall correctly, however, I swore an oath not to accept defeat from him again yesterday. Therefore, I shall see to it that I am the victor today."

"Have you lost your damn mind? He'll cut you to ribbons!"

"He will try… and he will fail."

"Haru-san, please… be reasonable…" Keiji pleaded. "Is there no changing your mind?" It was pointless to ask. He could tell just from his first meeting that Haru was one of those people who carried through when she got an idea into her head. Sighing with defeat, he bowed his head and woefully added, "Just bring him home in one piece."

"You can't be freaking serious…" Renji muttered.

"Renji-san, I ask that you spend the rest of your day elsewhere to avoid any negative retribution on Keiji-san's part. Keiji-san, I ask you to have dinner ready twenty-five minutes later than usual and trust that you will see it done."

"Hai, Haru-san." She gave a silent nod of thanks, allowed her sword to hang before her between her hands, and began once again towards the door. The cross hung beside it, winking with delight at every step she took.

"One more thing, Renji-san. Please be on time tomorrow."

"You're even starting to sound like him," grumbled the redhead. Standing in the doorway, she embodied a great deal of things: determination, frustration, confidence, the thrill of the fight… yet Renji felt it odd that despite all of her strength, there seemed to be a trace of hesitance in her shoulders. Before he could fully grasp it, she left the garden, and an eerie overgrowth of silence, behind her.

* * *

Mas kudos for making it to the end! Please refrain from smiting me from the semi-cliffie? Hope I didn't make your eyes bleed with grammatical mistakes or my shoddy Japanese… XD The following words appeared in this installment (yes, I'm using it again… why? Creative license. XP)

Gomenasai: Formal apology (Thanks White Alchemist Taya for pointing out another one in your review… but I'm probably going to keep using this one just because it's less typing… XP)

Onegai: Please

Yare Yare: Urahara's mantra! Translates roughly to "Well, well…"

Nandesuka: What is it

Arigato: Just plain old thanks

Kodomo: Kid, which Renji will probably call Haru for a while… XP

Gomen: Just plain old sorry

Souka: I see

Hai: Yes

You'll get the second half of this next week. It's actually pretty short compared to recent installments... oh well... it's worth waiting for I hope. Until next installment! (Newsflash: the word installment has now reached its maximum usage per fanfiction and will revert to its shorter synonym next chapter. See you soon!)


	20. Chapter 20: Forgetting

A/N: So, you're back for more, eh? I must say I am quite pleased to have you here, especially after the moderately short last chapter that had Flamy-chan ready to smite me. No, seriously... I got on YIM, had about 8 IMs that were mainly composed of "WTF? I hate cliffhangers..." and, to quote her, "I won't smite you, but I hear the devil takes personal requests." Thus, with my slightly askew reasoning skills (school is over for now, so I no longer have the capacity to think), I decided it would be a good idea to post ONE more chapter before I go. I know I promised two, but things spun WAY out of control here. I'm leaving Sunday for South Carolina... sunny South Carolina. I'm going to miss two things when I leave: DDR and this lovely fanfiction. Alas, I must actually do some serious writing on vacation, but rest assured, I will post another chapter as soon as I get back, so please don't flood me with too many threats of smiting. :)

The usual thanks to my readers, reviewers, stalkers, etc., especially for putting up with the cliffhanger last time. My most sincere apologies to all of you if I stepped on any toes, pissed anyone off, or contributed to anyone's overall insanity. I can't promise it will never happen again, but I'll make it an effort to try... hopefully, you guys enjoy the chapter! I totally enjoyed writing it...

* * *

_Chapter 20: Forgetting_

His ploy worked surprisingly well, at least up until midday. It was hard to think of anything else other than the mountains of paperwork, lined in disorganized rows that overtook his desk and a typically empty corner of his office. If the amount itself was not enough to keep him occupied, then the complexity of some of the pieces was. Several times, now, he had to stop simply to decipher the general idea behind the form in his hands. Then, he was forced to read it again to ensure he had deciphered it correctly. Once he finished analyzing it, a few sweeps of his brush, corrections or endorsements, were made, and he was on to the next one. He received few interruptions since the other divisions were probably just as buried as he was, but on several occasions, a lower member of his ranks would stagger in the office and ask him if he needed anything. Rikichi had made three appearances himself that day, goaded by his subordinates to check on the regal captain.

In fact, he seemed to be coming back again. The door to his office flew open, banging loudly enough to break his concentration yet not loud enough to draw his gaze. "I told you, Rikichi, I am perfectly…" The rest of his sentence was cut off by a rather forceful grip, which closed around his scarf with no regards to its value. He was given no chance to protest as his visitor yanked him clean out of his chair and began dragging him forward. He took care that the brush landed in the inkwell and did not in any way taint the untouched forms. Only after he crossed the threshold of his own office did he recognize who had actually interrupted him. "Haru-kun…"

"Urusai."

"Release me at once…"

"Urusai," she repeated, shoving him out of the building and into the sunlight, shutting it behind him, and quickly reclaiming her grasp on his scarf. "You're coming with me."

"Nani?" More or less, he understood what Haru required of him. The only trouble was the authority in her tone, the complete lack of acknowledging his superiority in rank to her own, not to mention the fact that their little field trip was taking him away from the paperwork he so desperately wanted to get done. Byakuya tried to decide whether or not his scarf was a worthwhile loss; after all, he could just rid himself of the garment and retrieve it later. Then again, there was the possibility that she would come back, not to mention her hold was rather strategic. She had part of his haori in her grip as well, and that was something he absolutely could not do without. "Haru-kun, let me go."

"I will not."

"This is interfering with my work… and people are staring."

"Then let them stare."

"I demand that you release me…"

"Iie," Haru responded, her eyes locked on their direction. "If I do, then you will return to your office…"

"Which is precisely where I should be," he argued, his tone stern. "Now, let me go."

"I will not," she repeated. "I have held back long enough." He couldn't help but wonder precisely what she had been holding back. Nevertheless, that could wait. What could not was the paperwork sitting on his desk.

"You are being obstinate and unreasonable. Now, release me." As if to emphasize his point, he seized the wrist of the hand that held his scarf, but in doing so, he found something wound around it, a chain perhaps, and when he caught sight of what hung from that chain, Byakuya suddenly found himself unable to argue with her. "What… is…"

"What does it look like?"

"Demo… you are…"

"Shinigami or no, I am still the nineteenth heir of the Yamashita clan."

"You signed it away."

"Yet it is still a part of me, Kuchiki Byakuya."

"What in heaven's name has gotten into you?"

"Perhaps a mirror would be the best tool to clarify that." And for the first time since she stormed into his office, he caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were so full of fire, he did not know what to say, what action to take other than to succumb to her outlandish, impractical desires.

"If I promise to go where you wish, will you let go?"

"What good is your word?" Haru asked, a flash of skepticism racing across her gaze.

"You did say you trusted me, did you not?" To his relief, those words stopped in her in her tracks, drawing that ounce of skepticism and doubt out of dormancy and into conscious thought. Her eyes confessed the validity of his point, and the hand on his scarf hesitantly loosened, leaving him free to flee if he desired, but Byakuya remained rooted to the spot, gazing at her in an unusually flustered manner. After making a minor adjustment to his heirloom scarf, he allowed a sigh to escape him. "You should be resting."

"How can I?" Haru turned to him, her eyes still dancing with one devious plot or another. "I know you plan to wall yourself up in that office until your body can no longer sustain you. I know this because people… certain people… have expressed their concerns to me."

"And you believe them?"

"It does seem like something you would do," she offered. Knowing full well he had been caught, he had no choice but to let the matter go. "Besides, you let Renji-san have the day off. I can understand such actions towards me considering the fact that I am still recovering from my injuries, but never in my life could I imagine you doing such a thing for your vice captain."

"Perhaps I simply needed some time to think." The disdain in her eyes was incredibly strong, unlike any he had ever seen. Her right hand clenched her sword so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and perhaps he was imagining it, but a trace of her reiatsu, normally contained to perfection, sprang to life, appearing as a faint golden aura around her entire body.

"Time to think?" she echoed. "What could you possibly think about in a place like that, while your mind is occupied only with your present task? Do you take me for a fool? You're not thinking at all. You're just running away… like a coward!" Whatever emotion was in his eyes was slain at that point by the final word. It was all he could do to prevent himself from drawing his sword and proving he was anything but. "I know how you feel, Byakuya-sama. You cannot describe it anymore than I can, but there are words that carry the sentiment quite well." He turned away, intent on returning to the sanctuary of his office, but the vice-like grasp on his arm would not give him the luxury of any more than a few steps. Outraged, he threw his glare on the girl, who neither flinched nor withdrew. "Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

"I do not feel like being psychoanalyzed by a fifteen-year-old."

"It isn't psychology, it's Shakespeare," she retorted. "Besides, we are in agreement that you are, in some subtle manner or other, not the sanest of men." Finding himself irritated and more in need of his form fortress than ever, he attempted to rid himself of her grasp only to find the task impossible. Byakuya glared down at her again, silently warning her to let go, but she did no such thing. She simply peered at him, smiling in a manner that he had only seen a handful of times.

"What do you want?"

"Fight me."

"Now?" he stammered. Judging by her gaze, that is precisely what she intended. "You are injured."

"That never stopped you before," she returned, gripping his arm tighter.

"I do not wish to harm you."

"You will not, because today, I will win." Flustered by her audacity, Byakuya's hand fell towards his sword. There was no reason to be had, not after having been insulted. It was free in half a second, shooting in Haru's direction with astonishing speed, passing through nothing but air. She reappeared a moment later, glaring competitively at him yet retaining enough of her reason to know that their battlefield lay elsewhere. "I see you are eager," she replied, turning away casually. "We should find a more suitable place to settle this. Aside from the bystanders, who knows how much property damage I would cause were I to unleash my zanpakutoh here." Instinct drew her hand to the hilt, a slight shift of her reiatsu summoned it, and with that look of raw determination in her eyes, she turned to meet the blade that otherwise would have embedded itself in her back.

"To hell with property damage," he spat, drawing back and striking Haru's blade again. Her feet slid across the pavement a bit, but otherwise, she remained stationary. "That should be the least of your worries considering you have gone to such lengths as to damage my pride." Haru knew that, for the first time, she had him beyond angry. She went so far as to call it enraged, but as he restrained that emotion to a certain degree, she still considered her job far from over. Such things were anything but priority for her at the moment, however, with the pressure Byakuya was exerting on her blade. His efforts were put solely into twisting it to put strain on her wounded shoulder, and she silently acknowledged his awareness of all her vulnerabilities.

That was why she knew she would have to disengage. In a brilliant tactical movement, she thrust her foot into his stomach, knocking him away and giving her a moment to slide the sheath into her obi. By then, the next strike was already falling. Just before the blade bit into its target, Haru flashed out of sight, leaving his sword's hunger unsatisfied. He was about to raise it again when it was forced into the ground by Haru's foot. The other came flying straight at his head, forcing him to pivot his entire body to miss it. Then came her sword, out of nowhere, grazing against the flesh of his neck with a well-aimed jab. It was startling to him, how wild her eyes were in that moment even behind her glasses. Her smile was clear to him for a brief and fleeting moment, until she leapt away from the blade he twisted to throw her off balance. The manner in which she turned through the air, with the ribbon in her hair fluttering behind her and that of her zanpakutoh arcing as well, spoke nothing of the injuries she had previously acquired. Her landing was well-calculated and flawless, from what he could tell.

"Doushite?" he asked, watching as a glimmer of sunlight caught her blade. "How is it that you utter poetry in one breath and atrocities on my pride the next? How can you be so sure of yourself?"

"It has nothing to do with confidence and everything to do with reason."

"Your reason is madness."

"That is not the type of reason I am referring to." In one swift movement, Haru rid her arms of the sleeves that imprisoned them, keeping the garment tucked into her obi and allowing it to hang. "Up until this point, I have had every reason to go easy on you. However, circumstances have changed…" As she spoke, her hand closed around the left lens of her glasses, and with a slowness that dared him to attack, she removed them. "There has existed until now a definite line dividing our power. I felt it should be upheld for the sake of making things less complicated. That line no longer exists, and I therefore no longer have a reason to hold back."

"You dare put yourself above me? You, a mere child?" If he wasn't enraged before, he certainly was now. No glint of light or color touched his eyes; they were empty, and stone cold. His movements were deliberate yet hastier than they had been. Such a clear affront on his authority could not be taken lightly. They slowly fell shut as his blade rose to its upright position. "Very well… let us see how well you fare against me in your sorry condition. Chire…" He was interrupted by the force of the blade that slammed against his own and by the wild violet eyes peering into his own, unshrouded and clear as the sky above them, but the force of the blow caused him to stumble into the wall at his back. A brilliant gold haze burned around her, no doubt her reiatsu, and without words, the ribbon turned to red and the guard materialized. By then, they had attracted far too much attention for her tastes, so when Byakuya appeared in front of her, she flashed away.

_I have to get him out of here… now. Otherwise, we may wind up killing someone. _Haru gazed to her left when movement appeared in it and had just enough time to leap out of reach. Using shunpo, she managed to dodge the next blow as well, leaping to a rooftop without so much as a second thought. Byakuya's next strike forced her to meet the blade, throwing her balance and her timing off. She managed a landing despite things, dodging the blow from above and resolving to continue onward, especially as those stairs came into view. Suddenly, his figure blocked it, causing her to skid to a stop and take one step backwards as she realized what his intention was. Byakuya's hand was outstretched, pointed in her direction, and his mouth was moving. She read his lips, forgetting for a moment to keep her shoulders from quivering. _He wouldn't… he wouldn't… _

"Bone of a straggling beast, spire, crimson crystal, disc of steel, when the wind shifts, and the emptiness ceases, let the clash of lances resonate through the relinquished castle."

_Suzaku! _Haru knew she had erred in summoning shikai that early, but it was too late to revert. He had already spoken the final words.

"Hadou no rokujyuusan: Raikouhou." The air cracked and almost burned with the force of the lightening that rushed forth. For a moment, all was hidden behind that screen, and a rush of hope penetrated his focus. Yes, perhaps there was still time to return to his paperwork. But triumph, being the fickle ally that it was, came crashing down the instant a silver flame raced along his hadou and consumed it, scattering the sparks as if they were wood being burned to ashes. At the other side of her attack stood Haru, her blade still raised, her eyes flickering with a joy that far surpassed triumph. "What… was that?"

"I finally know the name… saisho no keitai." Haru took the opportunity to bolt forward, bringing his blade against hers again. "It is called mizuhi."

"Mizu…hi?"

"Hai… in the same manner water consumes flame, mizuhi will consume any kidou-based attacks and scatter their concentrated power to its initial state. As luck would have it, this particular form also works on cero. Keep that in mind when the arrancar start appearing in larger numbers."

"You should focus on your current fight before contemplating your future ones." Haru spotted the blade of his katana, noted that it was glowing pink and slowly disintegrating, and chose that particular time to disengage. She virtually flew up the stairs, knowing full well that Byakuya would follow her for the sake of settling things. Her only pursuers were the sakura-like fragments of Byakuya's sword. Their wielder, on the other hand, lingered behind for a moment in deliberation, as it would be easy to surpass her even considering her lead.

_That girl… what does she hope to accomplish by antagonizing me? That look in her eyes… I cannot stand it… and the way she summoned shikai so quickly… without speaking its name… does that mean…? _Then, his figure was gone, leaving only a slight trace of reiatsu behind him. _Iie… she is not capable of such things… there is no way she could be. _Haru glanced back over her shoulder, down the spiral that Byakuya would likely take, seeing that for the moment, she had ridden herself of her pursuer. She was nearing the top of the stairs, but her chest ached and her wounds hurt, and quite suddenly, she felt more tired than she had when the idea had sprung into her head. She sagged against the rock face at her right, staggering up several more stairs before finally dropping to one knee.

_Haru-sama, why are you doing this? If you feel so strongly about him…_

_Suzaku, do you remember the night okasan died, the night I learned your name? _

_Of course… how could I forget?_

_You remember how pained I was… how I didn't cry until sensei found me?_

_What does this have to do with the Kuchiki?_

_He has done nothing, _she replied, rushing forward with renewed determination. _Not a tear, not a single damn tear… despite how important Shimori-san was to him._

_Haru-sama, this is bad for your body. If you do not cease…_

_I don't care anymore. I can't… Byakuya-sama wants to escape the pain of loss, but I cannot in good conscience let him. Shimori-san… Shimori-san… he deserves better. _ The endless stairs gave way to the very wilderness she counted on coming to, and there, breaking the otherwise constant horizon, was Kuchiki Byakuya himself, looking down on her. _No way…_ A flurry of pink snow rushed forth, carrying with it the aura of murderous intent. Gritting her teeth, Haru's footsteps ceased as she raised her hand. "Hadou no sanjyuuichi: shakkahou!" Deflected by her kidou, the petals rushing towards her scattered and cleared the way for her to finish her ascension. Shunpo carried her over the final stair, and she shot towards Byakuya with startling determination. He gathered the petals into a single sword that met her own. The clang was followed by an eerie silence, which lingered in the air amidst the tension of two powerful spiritual pressures.

"Why do you persist in this endeavor when you know it is futile?"

"It is not!" Haru shouted, digging her feet into the ground and gritting her teeth as the Kuchiki heir attempted to push her back. The only shift that took place was in her reiatsu, which grew to match her opponent's in strength. "Hope is the sight of the blind man and the crutch of the lame. Iie… I am far from futility."

"What good is hope if it is merely an illusion?"

"Illusion?" she echoed incredulously. "When last I looked, I wasn't the blind one!" The blade of her sword slid against his own, colliding with the guard hard enough to draw his gaze away. "Do you think pretending everything is all right will actually make it all right?" Their position made it awkward for him to push against her sword, so all he could do was maintain pressure. "Well, I have news for you, Kuchiki Byakuya… acting will change nothing. It will only feed the feelings growing inside of you, and don't you dare tell me you feel nothing, or I swear to the gods, I will crack your damn skull open."

"I saw you against the mountainside," he replied. "You are not doing so well as you thought, are you, Yamashita Haru?" Hearing that name from his lips drew chills to her otherwise steady shoulders. An ounce of her force was sacrificed, and the result was Byakuya's movement. He gained an inch or two on her, causing her to slide backwards. "I will accept your unconditional surrender at any time." Haru suddenly gave a gasp, one that he misinterpreted as one of pain. Before he could move any further, she twisted her sword so her blade crossed his and knocked his katana near the base with a force that threw him off balance. Byakuya was not given time to recover as the strike was followed through with a kick to the hand gripping the sword. The moment her foot returned to the ground, she shot forward again, holding her sword between both her hands.

"Omote han: seishinhi!" A stream of golden fire poured forth, meeting a shield of sakura petals, pushing against them yet not through them. Six pink serpents suddenly burst forth, winding around her fire and shooting straight towards her. Shunpo saved her the agony of a thousand cuts, but not for long. An incredibly painful sensation raced across her back, drawing a shrill, strained cry from her lips.

_Haru-sama!_

_I'm fine, _she replied, turning to knock the fragments of Senbonzakura away. _It was only three… I can still move._

_Demo…_

_Get ready, Suzaku._

_Haru-sama, you cannot mean…_

_Yes… _she replied, planting her foot firmly on the ground and running her eyes over the countless petals coming at her. _I mean __saishuuteki na keitai_.

_You do not honestly wish to kill him, do you?_ Gritting her teeth, Haru turned the blade in her hand, knocking the deadly petals away one by one and counting to herself as she did so. One must have escaped her attention and raced across the side of her face. She felt the sting of salt in the wound and the gentle flow of blood dripping off her chin. From the corner of her eye, she saw the bandage that had originally been wound around her temple drifting away in the wind, but beneath the barrage of Senbonzakura, she had little time to take note of it. After what seemed like an eternity and a thousand swings, Haru saw her opening and utilized it to the best of her abilities. She shot towards her opponent again, supposing his next move would be a combination of attack and defense, which was both ensured and remedied with her first form. A golden trail of flame followed her sword's arc, splitting into three streams: two to block the petals behind her, one to thwart her opponent.

The pink fragments in the air all drifted to their master, lingering in the air as he regarded her with the same stoic eyes. "Your blade can no longer reach me, Haru. You cannot break through Senbonzakura." His eyes watched her as she altered her posture so her weight was on her left foot. Her sword changed hands to her left, where the quincy cross swung ever faithfully. The index finger on her left hand stood erect, while her right palm pressed against the blade, and her eyes drifted shut. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "Did you come to stand around or did you come to fight?"

"Dai ni keitai," she murmured, glaring at him with renewed determination as her reiatsu made a definite shift. "Kagehi." By the time he processed the meaning behind her words, Byakuya only had time to dart out of sight as his own sword burst into flames. He landed a short distance away, falling to one knee as he desperately searched for a single petal that hadn't caught fire. "Are you kneeling before your opponent?" Startled by his break of concentration, he glanced to the girl approaching him, to the wild look in her eyes. "I thought such gestures of submission were below you."

"Hadou no sanjuusan: soukatsui." The blast was delivered nearly point blank; at the very least, it caused Haru to break her form. The Senbonzakura returned to its master, fluttering about unharmed before condensing once more into a single sword. Once his kidou faded away, he shifted his eyes about, trying vainly to pick up any sign of movement, but there was none to be seen save a subtle movement in the shadows. He imagined the sound of footsteps behind him and whirled to meet their source, but he found nothing. He threw his gaze to the left, to the right, glanced about as the weight of his solitude bore heavily upon him. _Surely, she could not have simply vanished? _When he was convinced he was alone, Byakuya began forward, but already, he could see nothing remained of Haru. _There would be a body had that shot done what it was supposed to…_ Byakuya lowered his eyes, allowing his thoughts to overcome him for a moment. His shadow was distorted, odd, and shifting even though he himself was stationary. The white tail of his captain's haori licked the silent air that surrounded him. It changed direction, but he had no time to look. He only had time to comprehend that something sharp had bit into his left arm.

That something slid to a stop in front of him, holding the sword between her hands and glaring at him as, with something bordering curiosity, he touched the wound to analyze its severity. It was shallow, almost like a paper cut but longer. Byakuya knew full well it could have been worse, that she had intentionally done nothing more than scathe him, and it made her actions feel all the more condescending. Even from where he stood, he could see the girl trembling and gasping for breath. She wavered for a moment, as if to fall, but she rammed her sword into the ground and settled on leaning against the hilt instead. "You are impossible," she retorted. "You act as if you are untouchable, even though you know you are."

"I doubt you could strike me again in that condition." Her eyes blazed with the challenge, and in less than half a second, she yanked her sword out of the ground and vanished again. Byakuya blocked the strike that would otherwise have ran the length of his skull, yet something in Haru's gaze told him she had planned that. She drew back and struck again, this time from a different angle, and with that, she began her habitual dance, delivering a flurry of strikes as her feet struck up a certain irregular rhythm that seemed to change constantly and was thus almost impossible to follow. Nonetheless, Byakuya blocked each strike that came towards him, attempting at intervals to deliver one himself. He couldn't help but clench his jaw at the effort it took to anticipate and then block Haru's blows. She seemed to have put her entire being into proving him wrong, to fulfilling her conviction that she would be the victor. There was no way he could risk breaking Senbonzakura down into its fragmented form again, not with the barrage of blows raining down on him.

Sooner or later, he spotted an opening and turned his blade, swinging it in that general direction, but his opponent leapt away, dropping to a crouch before vaulting forward again with unexpected speed. Even Byakuya was beginning to feel the effects of their battle. His arms were beginning to tire, and he could feel the sweat running down his brow. Every now and then, he would acknowledge his breaths becoming ragged and attempt to control them, but it was no good, not with the energy he was exerting. A silent command passed through Haru's eyes before vanishing again, and the sword beneath his own gave some sort of tremble, a vibration as if acknowledging her request. Her reiatsu flickered gold for a moment, shifted to a crimson light that seemed to emerge from very near the core of her being. Haru pushed the sword away and leapt into the air, swinging her sword downward as she feel. _Suzaku, are you ready?_

_Hai, Haru-sama._

_Then, shall we give it a go? _The instinct to block her sword was too great, and Byakuya raised it just as the blade came to rest almost an inch above his head. "Saishuuteki na keitai," she murmured, her eyes blazing into Byakuya's befuddled face for a brief moment before she completed her command. "Shinseinahi." He could barely process what happened next: the subtle movement of spirit particles in the air, the explosion of reiatsu that nearly crushed the air in his lungs, two pillars of fire whirling around him until blooming into the shape of a phoenix, and then, unbearable silence, broken only by his sharp breaths and the thought, the certainty, that there was enough force behind that final attack to kill a man. Haru had since withdrawn, leaving him to stand on his own two feet, which he somehow miraculously managed to do. He turned to the girl, observing her silhouette before his eyes raced alongside her body, peered at the wounds in her back, and came to rest on the eyes that suddenly shot in his direction. As he turned his head, a subtle crack broke the silence, and a few fragments of white drifted through his line of sight. Beneath the heat and weight of that final attack, the kenseikan had crumbled, leaving nothing to restrain the obsidian locks that now fell before his eyes. "Do you wish to continue, Byakuya-sama?" When he didn't answer, she simply shrugged, turning her blade so the sunlight crept across its edge threateningly.

"That attack… what was it?"

"Victory," she responded, her slim shoulders moving into a shrug. "Or have you not yet noticed the sword you are holding has been severed in two?" Astonished eyes moved to his blade, and it was indeed cracked in half. One portion of it rested beside his feet, glinting in apology as his eyes moved to Haru again. "It seems that, even if you wished to continue, you could not."

"Do not be a fool. I still have kidou."

"And I still have mizuhi. It would be futile," Haru replied, resting her sword against her shoulder.

"Impossible," he retorted. "It is impossible for you to have gotten so good overnight… and your injuries… just what are you?"

"I am a shinigami," she replied simply, turning to face him. "Yamashita Haru, the nineteenth heir of the Yamashita clan."

"You signed it away."

"Regretfully, minors are not allowed to make such decisions, so until I am eighteen, I am stuck with the title. Anyway, you don't have to acknowledge it. It matters not to me one way or the other. Simply bear in mind that I am not to be taken lightly, all right?"

"Is that why you drug me out here?" Byakuya demanded. "To show off? To make an attempt at proving your superiority?" That same anger sprang up in her eyes again. It took her very little time to close the distance between them and even less for her to grab a fistful of his scarf and jerk him forward, a silent warning that he had better listen carefully to her point.

"It has nothing to do with me and everything to do with your stoicism, damn it!" Startled by this new side of Haru, he swallowed with difficulty and continued to listen. "Do you remember the night we started speaking in haiku, the way I obstinately pushed you away and bottled myself up? Have you forgotten your own words? You told me it did no good to hide my pain. Were those words simply words, Byakuya-sama, with no meaning whatsoever?"

"Haru-kun…" The name fell from his lips, drawn forth by his subconscious. He barely noticed speaking it himself.

"If you think being noble means never showing vulnerability to anyone, then you have greatly misconstrued the idea. If you suffer, then let someone share that suffering, instead of shutting yourself out of the world and out of the lives of the people who care about you. Of course you have to hold up a strong front in public, but not around those people. Renji-san and Keiji-san… they were worried about you, too. That is why I decided to fight you… not because I wish to make any claim of being better than yourself, not because I wish to surpass you, but simply because I wanted you to understand that I will not allow you to shut me out."

Haru gritted her teeth and staggered when the weight of his head fell upon her shoulder, forcing her to one knee. His arms wound so tightly around her that she could only manage a single gasp of pain. "Byakuya-sama… not so tight… my ribs are still broken…"

"Then for a little while… just for a little while…" The words were spoken in a manner that was very uncharacteristic of the Kuchiki heir. They were a plea delivered amongst unsteady breaths in a tone so agonized with loss that Haru could do nothing more than speak his name.

"Byakuya-sama…" Something hot spilled against her neck, summoning forth the powerful realization that caused her sword, still released, to fall from her hand. A pair of gentle arms encircled his neck, while one hand fell to stroking the back of his head. Her eyes drifted skyward for a moment as her fingers laced through his hair, a raven mass of strands softer than any cloud, and she knew that somewhere in the human world, there was a child sitting by the window, a child much like herself who found it wretchedly delightful to watch the falling rain.

* * *

Night brought very little relief to Kuchiki Byakuya; if anything, it brought even greater anguish. In addition to having been defeated by the girl he willingly shared his bed with and then venting his angst on her shoulder like a forlorn child, he came home to a hot meal he was almost too ashamed to eat. By the time he made it to the bathroom, his head was throbbing fiercely, as if Suzaku was inside his brain, jabbing at its most sensitive areas with a relentlessness its wielder seldom displayed. All he wanted to do at that point was sleep, but Haru would likely not allow it. Sighing heavily, he threw the door to his room open to find her bent over his sword, an intent look on her face. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing it. I already fixed the kenseikan," Haru responded, glancing at him through her glasses. Sure enough, his hair piece lay beside her, gleaming in the faint light of the moon. He crossed the room in silence, kneeling directly behind her and peering over her shoulder. "I happen to know a little bit about manipulating spirit particles, considering my heritage."

"I do not doubt you," he replied, "but must you do this in the bedroom? Honestly, Haru-kun…"

"It cannot wait until morning, so unfortunately, I must." Clearly, he was discontent with the way things were, so he dropped his head and nuzzled the back of her neck. She couldn't help but shiver as his breath raced across it. Otherwise, her composure was complete. "I went too far," she murmured. "Please forgive me, Byakuya-sama… I did not intend to, demo…" To show his forgiveness, he gently kissed the side of her neck, sighing against it contentedly despite the growing pain in his head. Like Haru, his composure faltered for a moment, resulting in a wince as his forehead dropped to her shoulder. "Daijobu desu ka?"

"Headache," Byakuya confessed.

"It serves you right for being so stubborn." She lifted the blade to the faint light of the moon and the stars, moving it back and forth to ensure no appearance of cracks. Then, she pushed it into its sheath and rose to place both it and the kenseikan in their proper places. Having done so, she returned to her host and knelt before him, bowing her head slightly beneath the weight of his intense eyes. "Byakuya-sama, I honestly did not intend to carry things as far as they did. Perhaps I was angry, but part of me wanted to help you forget your grief, if only for a little while. Instead, I drew it out, and now, you are suffering because of it. I cannot help but feel ashamed that I acted as I did."

"Why do you apologize?" His hands wrapped around her own, watching as Haru glanced at his face to see what he was thinking or feeling. "Are you ashamed of your victory?"

"It was hardly fair… beating you down when you were conflicted internally…"

"Iie, it was fair."

"Are we going to argue about this like we did last time?"

"It is highly likely," Byakuya responded. His eyes fell shut as he pressed her hand to his lips, drawing from her a definite tremble despite their warmth. "Your back," he murmured against it. "How does it feel?"

"Nani? Oh, those little things… I should be all right."

"What about the rest of your wounds?"

"Do you always interrogate people when you are concerned about them?" He gave a half smile at her words. Then, recalling his headache, he released her hand and pressed it against his throbbing temple. Worse still was his sudden lack of fatigue, which plagued him almost as much as his agonized head did. "Are you in pain? Perhaps you should lie down…"

"Haru-kun, will you do me a favor?" She nodded her head and leaned forward. Since his voice had dropped to a whisper, it was a little difficult to hear his words. "Sake…"

"Sake?" she echoed.

"A bottle of sake… would be nice."

"Won't that just make it worse?"

"It will dull the pain," he replied wistfully. It didn't take much thought to catch the hidden meaning behind those words, so she rose without further argument and crossed the room with swift steps. Once she disappeared, Byakuya threw himself on the futon, slinging one arm over his eyes as he silently combated the migraine. Time rolled by in its typical manner; while it passed, it remained slow, yet when Haru returned, it seemed like virtually no time had passed at all.

"Gomenasai… it took me a moment to find Keiji-san. I did not know where to look myself." It took every ounce of his will-power to sit up, but he managed to, especially when he heard the quiet descent of sake into a cup. Haru had set the tray down beside her, and once she had finished pouring, she offered the cup to him, which he took and drained with startling speed. "Byakuya-sama…"

"Hmm?"

"I always imagined you as someone who would enjoy sake the same way you do tea." Haru glanced incredulously at the cup he extended, and she obliged him by filling it again. "Don't drink so fast… if you get a hangover, I'm not taking the blame in the morning." He regarded her with indifferent eyes as he tilted his head back, swallowing the contents of this refill just as fast as he had the first time. "Do not forget your paperwork."

"Forgetting is precisely what I intend to do," he said resolutely. "Besides, this method is preferential to others." Haru agreed silently and contented herself with pouring him another. This time, he at least looked at the contents of his cup before swallowing it. "You are not having any?"

"I figure I should stay sober enough to fight you off in the event that you try anything in an inebriated state."

"I can assure you I am a civilized drunk."

"There is no such thing," Haru chided, tilting the bottle habitually when he offered his cup. Already, the alcohol was beginning to take effect; a distant haze crept into his eyes, but his speech was surprisingly unaffected. He seemed to be reflecting on something, gazing at her intently for a moment before inhaling the liquor and extending it again.

"Will you tell me the mechanics of that technique?"

"Which one?" Haru asked, watching as another stream of sake fled from the bottle and into his glass.

"Shinseinahi was the name of it, I believe." She gazed at him for a moment, almost as if she did not understand, but in truth, she was startled that, despite his semi-intoxicated condition, he was still as coherent as ever right down to recalling the name. For the first time since she returned with his sake, he expressed explicit interest in her. Byakuya leaned forward, staring into her eyes with an intensity beyond reason, raising one hand to stroke her cheek. "I want to know… everything about that zanpakutoh, Haru-kun… and of its wielder. So, will you tell me?" Her eyes meandered to his own, glinting with an unseen blush which was apparent to him from the heat beneath his hand. In his other was the sake, untouched and still very much present in his eyes. When he removed the bottle from her hands, Haru couldn't help but wince. He rested it on the tray, and after placing his cup next to it, his head immediately dropped to her lap. A soft sigh escaped him as those fingers crept along his temple, pushing the hair from his face before coming to rest upon his shoulder. Hazy obsidians peered up at the girl, tinged midnight blue from whatever sentiment he was restraining. The entirety of their attention was fixed on reading her expression, but with the moonlight bouncing off her glasses, it was difficult to do.

"You already know so much about me, Byakuya-sama. What more could I possibly tell you?"

"Begin with that attack of yours… I am curious to know how it works."

"Hai… saishuuteki na keitai…" In one slow movement, she removed her glasses and set them aside, peering down at him with conflicted silvery-violet eyes. "I am not sure how to explain it."

"Surely, you know how it works and how much power it holds?"

"More than enough to kill an adjuchas, or so Urahara-sensei says… but I have not had the opportunity to test it out myself." The admission was gradual, almost as if their fight was still going on. His eyes goaded her own, searching for the information he so desired, but Haru held on to her secret for a moment longer before surrendering to his will. "It is called saishuuteki na keitai because it is the final attack form, not only insofar that it is the most complex and most powerful of the forms, but also because it has so much killing power behind it. There are two stages to the form, as you already know. It begins with a slight manipulation of spirit particles in the air…"

"Spirit particles?" he inquired thoughtfully.

"Hai," she responded, trailing a finger along his jaw line. "Once I have condensed them into the correct density, one that lingers just under our capability to see them, I shift my reiatsu and cut through the cloud. Separated into two streams, I use the spirit particles to guide the fire, which, by its natural tendency, winds about in two twin pillars, creating something that resembles a cyclone, the vortex of which is an intensely pressured area. Once this cyclone has reached maximum height, the vortex itself can ignite, or, as was the case today, the two streams simply converge overhead and bloom into the shape of a phoenix. This second half of the attack is called fennikuru no hana, and by appearance alone one would guess it is simply because the shape of a phoenix is the product of the attack. However, between you and me, that is only part of the reason."

"And the rest?" he inquired, sighing intently as Haru leaned over him far enough so he could reach the tendril of hair hanging about her face.

"What you see when shinseinahi 'blooms' is not merely the shape; it is the shadow of Suzaku's avatar form, though vastly increased in size. She is smaller than she likes to admit." Haru smiled down at the puzzled look on his face.

"Have you ever… seen her?"

"Hai," Haru replied. "Mostly in dreams, and when I mediate, but we speak a lot. I always notify her when I am going to use shinseinahi… otherwise, she gets a touch irritable." Her violet eyes flickered with hesitance, but the midnight gaze locked on her drew a sigh of surrender from her. "When I moved out of Urahara-sensei's house two years ago, Suzaku became the only one I could talk to."

"Did you have no friends in the human world, Haru-kun?"

"I was too shy to make friends, and too afraid that they would get caught up in these things. Other than Ishi-nii, I never spoke to anyone unless spoken to, and since he was in a different class, I only got to see him at lunch time. I was harassed for my glasses sometimes, and my eyes… because they were different."

"Is that why you were so sensitive about them when we first met?"

"It may or may not have something to do with it," Haru replied, casting her shame-filled gaze away, but his warm palm drew it back again, pressing against the side of her face in a silent request that she do so. A vibrant blush fluttered across her cheeks at the way he gazed into them, seemingly mesmerized by every facet of color in them, every fleck of silver. She expected no such intensity from a man who was half-inebriated, nor from Byakuya in general, who only seemed truly passionate about his work and his duty. He seemed to scrutinize them in a manner she was unfamiliar with, and in a way that was not so much curious as it was hungry, yet clearly, he admired them for what they were, which he showed with a ghost of a smile.

"I have called them stunning before, but there really are no words to describe them." A contented sigh crept past his lips as he turned his head slightly. There was conflict in those eyes despite their clarity. "Haru-kun, I…" Her eyes were still locked on his own, full of vibrant innocence and a weariness that went beyond words. Her fingers brushed against his temple, sending a steady blaze of relief through his entire body and causing his eyes to fall shut momentarily. Then, despite his semi-inebriated state, he lifted his head off of her lap and cast his midnight eyes over his shoulder. "Arigato," he murmured. The violet pools fixed on him widened in surprise; it was the last word she ever expected to hear from Byakuya's mouth.

"What… what for?" she managed.

"For staying with me." He paused and cast his eyes away again, almost as if he was ashamed of his quasi-dependence on her. When the warmth of her body pressed against his back, Byakuya made no move to draw away, nor did he become rigid with silent protest as he was apt to do with anyone else. He simply sighed again at the pleasantry of physical contact.

"Your thanks makes me feel so ungrateful."

"I do not understand."

"Don't you?" she whispered against his ear, sending an involuntary shiver through his body that would have been restrained had he been as sober as she was. "You are the reason I can fly again, Kuchiki Byakuya." Haru smiled against the side of his neck, and a wave of contentment stronger than any sake could provide washed over him. A gentle breath crept through his lips, and, in a fortuitous turn of the tides, he felt his exhaustion begin to wash over him. He reached behind him for the sake cup, and closing his hand around it, carefully lifted it to the moonlight, watching as the pale gleam played across the liquid. Then, with the great care and appreciation Haru expected from him, he swallowed the cup's contents. No longer was the alcohol intended to be a cure for his pain but a luxury he took the liberty of enjoying.

"We should get some sleep," Byakuya stated.

"Indeed… I hate to think of how late we'll have to work tomorrow to get all that gods forsaken paperwork done on time."

"So long as Renji does not have a hangover, it should only take us four or five extra hours…"

"Only," she said bitterly, diving under the covers and sprawling out on her side of the futon, watching Byakuya has he climbed in beside her. There, they remained for a few moments before Haru rolled onto her side and curled into a ball, and Byakuya, feeling the need pressing upon him, drew the girl to his chest. One violet eye peered up at him for a moment, revealing a deep-rooted concern for his emotional condition, but he seemed to have returned to his usual stoic state of mind. His breath struck the top of her head, carrying the slight scent of the liquor he had indulged upon.

"I would like to fight with you again," Byakuya said suddenly.

"If you expect me to go as far as I did today, then I am afraid I will sorely disappoint you."

"Iie… I would prefer it if you refrained from trying to kill me."

"Thanks for making me feel even guiltier," she retorted, throwing a fierce glare up at him, especially since he had the gall to wind his fingers around the ribbon that restrained her hair and pull it free after making such a comment.

"What I meant was it will be good for both of us to stay in practice. We can use our zanpakutoh in an unreleased state in a similar manner that we used the wooden swords on the day of our first sparing match."

"It sounds good in theory, but do we have time, with all that paperwork?"

"Consider it motivation. It will give you something else to look forward to."

"Something else?" she inquired softly, gasping softly as a pair of fingers raced along her spine. "What else… would there be?"

"Come now, you cannot honestly tell me you do not enjoy your evening routine."

"I'm too tired to think."

"A pitiful excuse," he responded, smirking at the uneasy expression that overcame her face. "I understand… routine is a difficult thing to appreciate." He fell silent for a moment, giving the slightest shift as he gazed into her eyes and lost himself. Though she had no desire to look away, Haru allowed them to fall shut for a moment. The events of the day were beginning to take their toll and drag her into sleep's waiting hands. Nestled against Byakuya's chest and enveloped by his arms, it undoubtedly would not be long. "Haru-kun," he murmured, drawing her from her half-dozing state. There was a touch of hesitance in his gaze, but he pursued his line of thinking and made his inquiry despite his misgivings. "Can I kiss you?"

"I don't believe you have ever asked my permission… what makes you start now?"

"The sake." Bewildered, she raised her eyes to his again. "I do not wish to do anything against your will… that is all."

"Just for that, I don't think I will." From her tone and her smile, Byakuya found the affirmative he had been hoping for and proceeded to carry out his desire. The faint taste of sake still lingered in his mouth and blended perfectly with the distinct flavor that was Byakuya, but the pleasure was a brief one. He soon drew away, stroking her back with a gentle hand even though her eyes pleaded for more.

"Good?"

"What kind of a question is that?" she cried, burying her face in his sleeping kimono to mask her mortification and reflecting quietly on it. _That sake… must be some strong stuff. I feel like I'm drunk just from that… or perhaps it was simply his manner. _When she glanced up again, she found Byakuya had gone to a place where the pain of loss could not touch him. Her fingers smoothed the hair out of his face, allowing her a full view of it. A trace of pink lingered in his cheeks, likely from the alcohol, and his breath slid through his lips with overwhelming content. Unlike earlier in the day, instead of provoking him into battle for such a lapse of remembrance, she allowed her eyes to shut and contented herself with allowing him, at least for a short time, to forget his anguish and defeat.

* * *

Holy cow... lots of Japanese in this chapter. I have to do this fast... dinner is nearly ready...

Urusai : Shut up

Nani : What

Iie : No

Demo : But

Doushite : How

Hai : Yes

Daijobu desu ka : Are you all right

Gomenasai : One of several formal apologies... it's the one I'll probably stick to. ;

And now, some notes:

I've been wanting to give my lovely readers a nice little dose of Shakespeare... the quote I used is from _Macbeth_, Act 5, Scene 2, if I remember correctly (I'm too pressed for time to look it up... gomenasai...)

Second, regarding the fourth attack form, saisho no keitai (which translates to "initial form"), mizuhi is a neutralizing form that can stop kidou-based attacks and cero. It is called "initial form" because it can be used prior to entering shikai.

Third, in case anyone was wondering, fenikkuru no hana translates to phoenix flower and is the completing step of Suzaku's final attack form. I will gladly answer any other questions... just PM me if you're confused... I swear, I put a lengthy explanation of her zanpakutoh in one of these chapters... I really should try to track it down.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone again for reading and reviewing, whether you personally have only done one or both. It means a lot to me that people continue pursuing this fanfic despite its length... to all of you, I give mas kudos and send you my sincere wishes that you will keep reading. Again, I give you thanks and I bid you adieu (only 2 days until South Carolina!!) I'll update when I get back! Take care of yourselves until then!


	21. Chapter 21: Belonging

A/N: I'm baaaaaack… and I was dearly missed by some people. I'm sure by now, you're probably all wondering why the hell I haven't posted another chapter as I've been home for roughly three full days now. Here follows a full explanation:

Monday: Got home at 8:30 pm… severely needed to unpack, stomach was evil and a half, I got a caffeine buzz at 11:40, and I got distracted by shiny things.

Tuesday: My day off… all right, I could have posted Tuesday, but I had errands to run. And work.

Wednesday: The morning included purchasing a 90 textbook. Between the hours of 5 and 7 pm, while desperately trying to get food, I received three phone calls: one from my friend who's like a sister to me, hysterical because her dumb-ass fiancée left her (and if I ever see said fiancée, I'll kick his ass… D:), one from my other long-winded friend begging me to help with her math, and another from my best friend that got cut off. Turns out, her little sister's having problems at work… I'll be general because I think they're a rather private matter… and no, none of them are her fault despite my first thought. I wound up at her apartment for an hour before coming home, finding myself having no drive, and wasting the remainder of the night on Ragnarok.

Thursday (Today): 6 HOURS of brutal chatting with friend who wanted tutored… all she did was yap about stuff I don't care about. Honestly, my time is too valuable to hear about Wife Swap and environmental garbage I already know about. To make matters worse, the 2 hours we spent on math were close to worthless because she kept losing focus, AND to top it all off, I stayed late at work tonight.

For these reasons, I ask forgiveness on account of my having a life… a shitty life where I am endlessly and perpetually taken advantage of for my moderately exceptional book-learning skills and my desire to stay on my boss's good side at work, but still a life. Vacation was wonderful… I loved it lots. I got to see sharks, porpoises, snakes, birds, raccoons, deer, Borzoi puppies, a Great Pyrenees, a handful of other domestic dogs, and a hell of a lot more mosquitoes than I wanted to. Yes, I got sunburn in spite of the SPF 50 sunscreen. No, I'm not peeling yet… so there is still hope! So, now that I've written a big honking recount of my life and bored half of you to tears, it's time for the 21st chapter! I'll be quiet now… please enjoy it. :)

* * *

_Chapter 21: Belonging_

Renji stood at the door of the office, letting out a yawn as he peered at the sun as it began its climb away from the horizon. Upon Haru's request, and for no other reason than to prove that he was not always late, the redheaded vice captain had taken great pains to ensure he arrived precisely at eight o'clock… only to find the place deserted. A triumphant grin spread across his face momentarily, chased off by the memory of the unbearably strong reiatsu from the day before. Since there was no reason to work if his captain wasn't, he simply leaned against the door and threw himself into deep thought. _That girl… she must be something if Kuchiki-taichou insists on watching her himself. Then again, I guess she showed me the day I met her. _He vaguely recalled the sensation of being thrown off his feet by a mere wooden sword… or rather, a zanpakutoh in the guise of a wooden sword. _But that reiatsu… it had to have been hers since it wasn't Kuchiki-taichou's… to think someone like her is that strong. Maybe she's got a bankai. Maybe she just doesn't want anyone knowing, like Ikkaku. Maybe she just wants Kuchiki-taichou to keep thinking of her as weaker than he is… it'd probably get a little complicated between them if she wound up beating his stoic ass in a fight._

Rubbing the back of his head, he pushed his back against the door. _I wonder how far they went… man, I'd hate to piss her off again… that look in her eyes… she could really kill someone. _Then, the thought crossed his mind of what may have happened to his captain, and leaping up, he moved to start towards the Kuchiki estate immediately, just to make sure Byakuya was still breathing, when he spotted coming from that direction two figures moving forward at a leisurely pace. His anger came rushing back when he realized who they were, and, with his brow twitching, he crossed his arms and rested his back against the door.

"Gomen, Renji-san… I…" But before Haru could finish her apology, he flicked her in the forehead.

"Baka kodomo! Don't tell me to be on time if you're going to be late!" he shouted.

"I… itai…" she murmured, rubbing her head. "Do you honestly think I planned to be late? And quit calling me that! My name is Haru!"

"I'll call you whatever I damn well please," Renji returned, folding his arms triumphantly. "And anyway, what're you late for?" Her face flushed red for a moment, and her eyes wandered to the noble surveying the scene with a mixture of distaste and amusement. Clearly, he wasn't going to help her, so she returned her gaze to a startled Renji, who seemed to be waiting for whatever justification she could offer.

"Byakuya-sama… required a little extra sleep this morning."

"And why's that?" Obstinacy filled every facet of her gaze as she silently combated with her desire to keep the matter private and to do as her superior asked. She clutched the wooden sword in her hands, allowing her head to fall for a moment in thought and enabling the silver ribbon to catch the sunlight and gleam briefly. Refusal wasn't an option; Haru had no reason to tell Renji that his pristine captain had been beaten, reduced to a child-like state, and, to add insult to injury, drank away his troubles with her as his only company. She looked to Byakuya again, helplessly, pleadingly, and, to Renji's surprise, he rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Haru-kun deemed it best that I attain an excess of rest after yesterday's events." It was clear by the tone of his voice that he was alluding to more than their little fight. "I can assure you, Renji, that she was awake on time despite the fact that I was not."

"You make it sound like it's my fault," Haru retorted.

"Perhaps if you had quit serving me sake, I would have been a little more willing to get up this morning."

"You still make it sound like it's my fault." All the while, Renji fulfilled the obedient role of observer, though he was somewhat taken aback by the casual manner in which they argued.

"Furthermore, it does not help that you used such force in defeating me."

"Nani?" Renji interjected in a volume far too loud for such an early hour, causing several passersby to turn their heads. "The hell do you mean you beat him? You've got some sort of nerve, doing it before I did!" Haru darted behind Byakuya before she received another flick in the forehead, clinging to his scarf and burying her face in it to hide her shame.

"Haru-kun…"

"It was a fluke, all right? Besides, Byakuya-sama was having an off day…" She waited for a moment for his support until her impatience got the best of her. "Weren't you?"

"Perhaps it would be wiser to continue this debate later. For now, there is the paperwork to keep us preoccupied."

"You're so cruel…" she sighed, relinquishing her grip and dropping her head in defeat. The cross on her wrist caught the early morning sun, winking a gentle reassurance to the befuddled girl. Nonetheless, she stood behind his left shoulder as he pushed the door open and flicked the light on. Overnight, the paperwork had multiplied to almost unmanageable levels. They stood staring at it for a moment, analyzing the precise nature of their situation, but it was Renji who broke the silence.

"Oh, the humanity…" He drew back, but Haru remained by the captain's side, her eyes no longer timid and embarrassed but intense in a manner he was not familiar with, almost as if she was making some sort of calculation. "You sure there's not any errands you want me to run today, taichou? We getting short on ink or anything?" The girl seemed to guess his plan. Before he knew what was happening, she had stepped behind him and given him a good shove forward. Byakuya instinctively sidestepped to avoid being rammed through along with his vice captain, who impertinently dug his foot in at the threshold. "Oy, the hell do you think you're doing, kodomo?"

"We can finish it, but we all have to work hard. That includes you, Renji-san."

"Demo…"

"It is still a little early to be cracking skulls, but I'll do it nonetheless if you provoke me," Haru retorted through her gritted teeth, shoving him hard enough to force him forward. Outraged, he whirled around and glared at the girl, who returned the glare with enough heat to send him trudging to his office.

"Do you honestly think it is possible to finish this today?" Byakuya inquired.

"Undoubtedly. If we get started now, we shall only have to stay a few extra hours, but any more delay could be costly. We will have to skip lunch…" Here, Renji interrupted with a groan of protest, but a sharp glance from Haru silenced any further arguments he may have had. "But that should not be much of a problem, as you and I are accustomed to it."

"But your wounds…"

"They will hurt no less if I miss a meal, Byakuya-sama," she insisted.

"I do not want you collapsing as you did yesterday."

"Then I promise to take a break if anything starts acting up. Does that satisfy you?" Instead of waiting for an answer, Haru darted across the room and began her usual process of sorting with an endearing sort of intensity. Byakuya managed to make it through the sea of papers without much difficulty. He began where he had left off the previous day, when that same girl had forcibly removed him from his task, and fell into a steady rhythm that was only broken by her occasional footsteps as she finished sorting piles. It began going quickly after that, until some time after minutes and hours didn't seem to matter any more, there came a sudden outburst from Renji's office.

"Damn it! This really pisses me off!" Haru only took notice when the door flew open and the red-headed vice captain stormed in, but he was prevented from going any further by Haru, who shoved a stack of papers into his hand.

"You are qualified to deal with these," she responded, refusing to flinch under his venomous glare.

"This is crazy… what do they think, we live at work? It'll never all get done!"

"Of course it will get done, but only if you actually work. Besides, it isn't fair that you are the tallest one here yet you have the shortest temper." His frustration failed to subside until Haru gave him a pleading look that politely requested him to return to his task. With a defeated sigh, he returned to his office, falling once again to a silent and disrupted state. "I apologize, Byakuya-sama…"

"What for?" he inquired, his eyes locked on the form in front of him.

"For his impatience. I rather wish he would not have started yelling about my unintentional victory yesterday. All of Soul Society does not need to know I managed to defeat you a single time."

"Then you are not proud of your accomplishment?"

"How can you ask me to be proud, Byakuya-sama?" Her pleading eyes wandered away from her task for a moment. "I take no pride in attacking my own pillar of strength. It would be a bit self-contradictory of me to do so, would it not?" He remained silent, and as expected, she returned to her task. In truth, the matter bothered him more now that he was sober, and for similar reasons that Renji had paused to reflect on before being condemned to a long day of paperwork. However, the matter was not to be contemplated at the moment, not when he finally felt as if they were making some headway, and when such thoughts could very well disrupt his rhythm. Her uncertainly was clear, even with her gaze averted from his own, drawing a slight sigh from him as he placed his signature in the proper area.

"You should not let it concern you," he stated with a suddenness that caused her to flinch. "Whether you are proud or not, it changes nothing."

"Hai…" she responded dolefully. As much as he hated to leave things like that, he had no choice. The heaps of paper before him were not going to complete themselves, and since Haru was willing to throw herself at work for the sake of forgetting, then he, having done so countless times in the past, could surely stomach it for a few more hours at the least.

_Such a peculiar girl… _he thought to himself, glancing once at her intensity, for one glance was all he needed as a reminder of his own drive. After an interval, Renji emerged again, but Haru was quite effectual in dealing with him. She simply pushed another stack of papers into his arms and quietly asked him to continue.

"Easy for you to say… you've got those glasses to keep the words from running together."

"Actually, they do nothing for my sight. I can see just as well without them."

"Then why wear them?" Renji demanded.

"If you're good and finish your paperwork, perhaps I will tell you."

"It'll only make it so I can't focus!"

"Then let your curiosity be the gateway to determination. Now, go," Haru ordered, whirling him around and giving him a gentle push in the direction of his office. With a sigh that carried with it the feeling of a job well done, and she turned back to the captain with her arms crossed. His eyes were intently focused on her, flickering with intense fascination. "Nandesuka?"

"I was merely wondering how exactly I failed to realize your nobility."

"I told you before, I am no noble," she replied, trying vainly to keep the exasperation out of her tone. "Or, if you prefer to use the term noble, then I am a fallen noble and still nothing in comparison to you." Having neither the reason nor the drive to argue with her, Byakuya sighed with defeat and continued, hoping that it was the final interruption, but no sooner had he resumed did he hear his aide emit a slight cry. Worried that it may be her back, he instinctively glanced in that direction only to find her peering at her index finger. Her pain faded to thought, and she seemed to be lost in scrutinizing that digit, even when his shadow and his curious gaze loomed over her. There was a trace of blood rising through a split in her skin, nowhere near enough to be a serious wound. Nonetheless, he took his hand in her own, turning it to allow him a better view. All the while, a pair of vulnerable violet eyes peered at him, flickering with trepidation and summoning to her cheeks a definite tint of red.

"You will live," he said gently, pressing the wounded digit to his lips, shifting his dark eyes so he could judge her reaction. Haru could only stare back, bewildered and inexplicably anxious, but not afraid. Her eyes wandered away for a moment, to the door that separated his office from the rest of the world, almost as if she expected it to burst open, and when no such occurrence took place, Haru glanced back to the captain. There were dull traces of pain in his eyes, the likely aftereffect of having drunk so much strong sake in such a short period of time the night before, yet shining clearly in them was a concern for her own wellbeing. "You should be more careful," he chided, brushing two fingers against her cheek. "Are you certain you are up to this?"

"Hai," she responded firmly, more businesslike that he expected. "It is, after all, partly my reason that you feel behind. If I had not dragged you away, then… perhaps you may have accomplished more."

"What are you apologizing for?" he inquired. "Getting me out of this office was a feat only you could have accomplished, and I do believe, considering the circumstances, it did me greater good than staying would have."

"Demo…"

"It will get finished, one way or another," Byakuya reassured her, and he withdrew, returning to his task as if he hadn't been interrupted at all. She was just about to follow suit when the door slid open, drawing her to her feet with stunning rapidity and summoning her arm to an outstretched position with zanpakutoh in hand. She stared down the occupant of the door's frame, her eyes burning with that same determination that, though while pure in intension, also carried a weighty sort of peril. Startled, he allowed himself to be driven back by that venomous glare. "Lower your sword, Haru-kun," uttered the ever-composed captain. Still, she was not convinced that the young man in the doorway posed no threat to them. "He is a member of my squad, and therefore may bear some significant information."

"Souka," she replied, almost shamefully, and allowed her arm to drop. After giving him an apologetic glance, she settled herself and began to scan the papers before her, working through them with renewed rapidity.

"My apologies for interrupting, Kuchiki-taichou, but… Ukitake-taichou requests an audience. I told him you were very busy with the paperwork. However, he insists that he be admitted for the sake of speaking with…"

"Unless it is an emergency, let him know that I cannot spare any time today."

"What about her?" he inquired, pointing at Haru, who gave him a brief and incredulous glance with her intensified eyes.

"Haru-kun?"

"Hai… Ukitake-taichou… wishes to speak with her for a moment… if you can spare her, Kuchiki-taichou." From the expression on Haru's face, it was easy to see that she had heard nothing of this impromptu conference, nor did she wish to waste time doing such things. However, Byakuya could also see the underlying anxiety as to what the thirteenth division's captain may want with her. He leaned his cheek against his hand for a moment, his eyes falling shut as he considered it. Then, they flashed in Haru's direction, a vibrant cocktail of luminous obsidian and vivid indigo. Guessing the order that would be spoken, she slowly returned to a standing position, taking her sword between her hands and carefully stepping around the already sorted papers.

"I will try to make this quick, Byakuya-sama."

"See that you do," he responded without giving her a glance of farewell. Haru escaped his gaze before her heart could become anymore weighted than it already was. She gave the young man a fretful look that nonetheless served to verify her preparations were complete. Then, in complete silence, they exited the office, Haru trailing behind him with her head slightly bent.

"Don't let him get you down."

"Nani?" she inquired.

"Kuchiki-taichou's always been like that, especially on days when there is this much work to be done."

"It's not that," Haru responded, taking the left lens of her glasses in her hand and pushing them up as she followed him. "I would expect nothing less from Byakuya-sama beings I am the one who forcibly dragged him away from his paperwork yesterday. What troubles me is Ukitake-taichou and his unannounced, inexplicable interest in seeing me all of a sudden." But all talk ceased as Haru's arm instinctively rose to block the sunlight that poured through the growing crack in the door. In her days with the sixth division, Haru had almost forgotten how bright the day truly was, as she was accustomed to remaining in the office until dusk. In cases when she was not, she was too busy trying to protect her life to enjoy the almost overwhelming iridescence of the sun. One brilliant white ray caught the silver cross on her arm and leapt back as if the thing were a deadly poison or a stigma. Her eyes flickered timidly as she fixed them on the silver-haired captain, who gave a slight cough and quickly replaced it with an amiable smile. As much as she wanted to plead with her company not to depart, he swiftly bowed his head and did so, disappearing around the corner of the building before she could even come up with a decent justification. With a sigh of defeat, she wrapped her hands around her sword and emerged, shutting her eyes to protect them from the sun's radiance.

"Ah, Tokazawa-san… I can assume you are well, then?"

"Hai," she responded, shutting the door behind her and dropping to a sitting position in order to put her sandals on. "Byakuya-sama treats me well. Words cannot begin to express my gratitude for his hospitality."

"Is that why you nearly killed him yesterday?" He said it casually, with the same friendly smile. Clearly, people had been talking, which had been her fear. Then again, it wasn't as if she had tried to restrain herself once on Soukyoku Hill. She simply did as she thought was best and allowed herself to let go of almost every ounce of restraint, save that which prevented her from forgetting her gratitude. Nonetheless, Haru bowed her head and grappled with her words, feeling as if she had been accused of some crime.

"I can assure you, Ukitake-taichou, that it was not my intension to do so. Had something happened, I could never have forgiven myself, much less allowed myself in good conscience to keep living as I was… and besides, I am too grateful to wound him beyond minor means, even if a desperate situation were to arise in which I lost all sense of what I was doing."

"Relax, Tokazawa-san… I meant nothing by asking save to inquire whether or not that incredible surge of reiatsu yesterday was your own. Besides, if Byakuya perceived you as a threat, he would no more tolerate your presence than a cat does water." Haru considered the point for a moment and was compelled to speak by some unspeakable force within her, though she knew full well it was disrespectful to contradict something her superior had said.

"Then you do not know cats well," Haru responded, walking forward with a steady gait. "Even cats will tolerate water if there lies beyond its surface an unsuspecting fish."

"A valid point," he granted. "I'm not certain how long he can spare you, but would you mind taking a brief walk with me while we speak? This won't take long."

"Of course," Haru responded, darting forward with renewed vigor. As was usually the case, she trailed slightly behind him, trying to learn a little more from his mannerisms, his footsteps, his posture, and when all spoke of nothing more than amiable and pure intensions, she allowed herself to relax a bit. "It should be a crime to spend a day like this in the office."

"Circumstances have rendered it our fates to, unfortunately," Ukitake commented. "But a small break never hurt, though I am not supposed to overexert myself." Startled, Haru turned to him, her eyes burning with a clear askance. "More importantly, neither should you. I heard you were wounded several days ago by the arrancar that murdered Shimori-san." He brought it up for the sole sake of seeing how the girl would react, and though her eyes grew grim at the mere mention of the fight four days past, her steps remained steady and unyielding. "It is also my understanding that you single-handedly defeated it."

"You make it sound easy," she retorted. "I'll have you know, I broke two ribs that day, and I was forced well beyond my self-imposed limits."

"It is remarkable enough that someone of your age was able to handle an opponent of such strength, but even more remarkable is the fact that you did so injured and still lived to tell about it. You are quite the resilient one despite your appearance, Tokazawa-san." In all honesty, the expression on her face nearly made Ukitake laugh. She looked so lost, so bewildered at the mere praise, that she actually stopped walking for a moment.

"I do not deserve your praise, Ukitake-taichou. As that hollow came for the sole purpose of abducting or destroying me, it was my responsibility to kill it. That Shimori-san was caught in the crossfire…" She paused and thought of her host resting his head on her shoulder, hiding his face, and clutching her as if she was the only thing left worth living for. "I can never forgive myself for that." He studied her for a moment, silently analyzing the weight on her shoulders. Then, he broke into a reassuring smile.

"A child your age should never grow so serious. You look as if you wish to bear the troubles of the entire world on your shoulders. That will never do, Tokazawa-san," he chided, his brown eyes alight with a gentle reassurance. "I understand how you feel, but you mustn't carry the burden of his death. It was not your hand that struck him down."

"Demo…"

"I know how you feel," he echoed, his face growing grim and determined. "If I could make it so no one would have to experience that feeling again, I would. However, there is nothing either of us can do. The pain of loss is a part of living."

"How can you ask me to accept such a thing?" Haru demanded.

"It is impossible to accept, Tokazawa-san. I have tried myself, tried for decades." She conceded the point with her silence. After all, it was possible to know something and not accept it; she had hidden the truth in her own mind since her father's death, and then began again at age thirteen, at which point she had intended to bury the name once and for all. If not for the Kuchiki heir, she would never have come to accept her present situation. "At any rate, I did not come to discuss this most recent misfortune. I came to inform you that the time of your seating grows very near."

"My seating?"

"Why do you sound so frightened, Tokazawa-san?" She had stopped walking again, and gifted only the ground with a glimpse of her eyes.

_If I get assigned a division, then that means…_ She couldn't bring herself to think it, knowing full well that Ukitake was standing by, glancing at her with a mixture of confusion and astonishment. "It… it's nothing," Haru managed. "Do not concern yourself with it. Please continue."

"Hai." The captain folded his arms and studied her, noting that she was at present shaking like a leaf despite the absence of any threat to her well-being. Nonetheless, he did as Haru requested without much more of a delay. "Before you are assigned a division, however, Yamamoto-soutaichou requires that you be given an exam."

"What sort of exam?"

"It is a combination of an oral exam and a practical portion. The oral portion tests your knowledge on the various codes and history of Soul Society, as well as the various kidou. The practical exam requires you to fight against a predetermined opponent, generally a captain, and the passage of which is not generally determined by whether you win or lose but your overall performance. Victory is something you need not concern yourself with." She was half tempted to tell him that she had, indeed, bested Byakuya the previous day, even if it had been a bit of an underhanded victory. However, Haru chose to refrain from doing so, if only for the sake of upholding his pride, which was likely dearer to him than a brother. To show she understood, she nodded her head and gave Ukitake a passive glance. "After a short period of deliberation, which normally lasts no longer than a full week, Yamamoto-soutaichou, in conjunction with two other captains supervising the exam, will decide under whose order you should fall."

"Is this typical of students?" Haru inquired.

"All graduating students must take a written exam, but their practical measure is based on observation during their various tournaments and practical examinations that take place throughout their course of study. Since you have only a single such period, it was recommended by Yamamoto-soutaichou that a practical exam be administered. Additionally, the upper-class students are often tested in a group, whereas your exam will be administered solitarily."

"In other words, I will be the only one taking it that day?"

"Precisely," he responded, smiling a silent praise of her understanding. A rather dark and shadowy look passed over her, drawing a hint of something that had hitherto remained unseen out of her gaze, a thoughtful and calculating look that had all the bearings of impending doom written upon it. "Wha… what's with that look?"

"Betsuni." The expression melted once she had spoken, leaving nothing but the usual gloom in its place. _Why must I always be singled out?_

_A foolish question, _answered her zanpakutoh. _You are quite different from other shinigami in some respects, Haru-sama. Furthermore, you are of noble blood…_

_Do not remind me, _she groaned inwardly, but Ukitake's utterance of her name drew her almost forcibly from her thoughts.

"Tokazawa-san, I must impose one additional condition upon you regarding this examination." Haru paid particularly close attention at that point, for even Ukitake Jyuushiro's face grew serious as he delivered unto her the instruction that had been handed down from the top. "You must refrain from telling anyone about this until after you have actually been tested."

"And when exactly do you expect me to take this exam?"

"In a few days… is Friday all right, or would Saturday be more convenient?"

"You expect me to learn the entire history of Soul Society in three or four days? And the laws that govern it? That isn't counting the task of convincing Byakuya-sama to let me have time off."

"I believe you can manage it."

"Of course you do! You aren't the one being subjected to the task!" As if her tone was not enough to display her clear wrath at having been given such short notice, a slight shift in her reiatsu served as a further indicator that Haru, while she could be as stoic as her noble host, was also prone to moments of emotional expression. Nonetheless, she knit her brows together in deep concentration and bowed her head, fixing her eyes on her feet as they propelled her forward. "Very well… I shall request a short reprieve, but please wait until Saturday if you can. Byakuya-sama is quite behind on the paperwork because of me… first due to his worrying, and then due to his stubbornness." They had come full circle on their walk, halting outside of the sixth division office as Haru glanced to the captain. "If this is in any way inconvenient, do not hesitate to notify me in the most discreet way possible, and preferably by Thursday evening so that I may have ample time to convince Byakuya-sama of my plight without actually notifying him of the situation."

"I am certain it will not be a problem, Tokazawa-san." With a slight bow of farewell, Haru began towards the door, stopping just before she opened it.

"One more thing," she said, peering at the captain over her shoulder. "From now on, please refrain from calling me by my family name. I prefer being addressed by my given name… that is, if it is not too awkward for you."

"Not at all, Haru-san," he replied, smiling again. "Best of luck with the rest of your paperwork."

"Arigato… I'm going to need it," Haru retorted. It wasn't until he drifted out of sight that a sense of urgency pressed upon her. Though she had only been gone for roughly half an hour, the weight of having fallen behind in the first place left a bad taste in her mouth. She paused to give the sky one more wistful glance before opening the door, removing her sandals, and pacing back into the office, whereupon she found both Renji and Byakuya looking at her critically. She gave them both a look of composed indifference before settling herself in her usual corner and returning to her task with twofold intensity. Upon realizing their perpetual scrutiny, her violet eyes rose. As expected, they contained a flicker of anxiety in them.

"What's with that look?" Renji demanded.

"Nothing," she responded calmly. "I thought you would still be working."

"You've got some nerve mentioning that when you're the one who took an impromptu break. Just where the hell have you been?"

"Ukitake-taichou wished to discuss something with me. I felt it would be impolite not to oblige." The ready manner in which she delivered her answer gave neither of them reason for suspicion, so Byakuya returned to his work after reassuring himself that she was in no way seriously fatigued from her brief trek. Renji, on the other hand, was not so easily deterred.

"That's weird… usually, his illness keeps him from traipsing around Seireitei to talk to some newcomer rookie who just fell out of the sky."

"Are you forgetting our little conversation yesterday, Renji?" Haru demanded, raising her left wrist so the cross caught the sunlight. "I am apparently some sort of special case."

"I thought you were making it up."

"Liar," she returned, shooting him a glare full of daggers. "Unless you are injured or dying, I suggest you get back to work, that is, unless you would like me to give you a reason not to."

"The hell are you so uptight for?" he inquired, taken aback by her sudden coldness. "If breaks improved your mood, I'd understand, but they apparently don't." Frustrated by this new facet of Haru, he did as he was told and returned to his office, shutting the door with a bang that caused neither the intensely focused captain nor his aide to break their rhythms.

"What did you tell him, Haru-kun?"

"If you are referring to Renji-san, I simply notified him of my slightly peculiar heritage yesterday before we engaged in battle. If, by chance, you mean Ukitake-taichou, I told him nothing of it, but I will when I grow slightly more comfortable with it." Silence was the only answer she received, to her great relief. After all, the more time she wasted on words now, the less time there would be to finish the paperwork. He observed her renewed fervor briefly before locking his eyes on the form in his hand, taking a moment to move his brush across it and then set it aside.

"Haru-kun…" A brief and forlorn glimmer penetrated his eyes; speaking to her at the moment felt as if he was speaking to no one at all. Byakuya allowed himself the luxury of a sigh and withdrew his inquiry until a later time. Perhaps it was best that they resume their work at an unprecedented pace, for he full and well perceived her urgency in every shift of her weight, whether it be a simple movement of her hand or a gentle sway as she set the newly organized stack of paperwork on the corner of his desk and lifted another to resume her work. He surmised, as he discreetly studied her, that Haru was the type of person who only showed urgency in situations that truly required them, which meant that such a situation had arisen in her brief walk with Ukitake. If it was relevant to him, however, Byakuya felt relatively confident that Haru would have said something, and so he returned to his work, contenting himself with her mere presence and allowing its urgency to goad him along.

The sun fell without any further interruptions, but it didn't bring with it the end of their labors. Having nearly completed the impossible, Haru and the captain continued in silence. Even Renji seemed to have found something to drive him through the stacks of incomplete papers. Walking through his office was beginning to become a difficult task, as each completed pile decreased his floor space. The thought of time died away entirely; its passage was measured in headway, and instants seemed to linger for considerably long periods rather than slipping away. Heaving a sigh, the red-haired vice captain shifted his gaze to the window, from which was visible a light dusting of stars in the sky. The silence was beginning to wear on him, and his drive was dying an excruciatingly slow death. Thus, he emerged from his office and pushed the door to his captain's office open, finding that it was one occupant short of what he expected. "Now where'd she run off to?"

"I'm right here," she stated from behind him, causing him to leap aside from the doorway for fear that she may strike him from behind. Tired though she was, the remnants of her drive still lingered on her expression, coupled with an underlying, boundless anxiety. Nonetheless, she wore a smile on her face, if only to please the regal captain, who with resolution, set the final form aside and stoically rose from his chair. "Byakuya-sama recommended I go retrieve dinner, as it seems we have finally completed our task. I hope you like ramen."

"Ramen?"

"We are known on occasion to spend an evening here, and he seems rather fond of it."

"You can't be serious." As if to verify Haru's accuracy, the regal captain rummaged through the plastic bag, withdrew his meal, and immediately began consuming it, allowing a look of contentment to wash over his normally rigid and unfeeling expression. "Ano, taichou… you do realize this is probably the cheapest meal in all of Seireitei, right?"

"Just let him be," Haru retorted, breaking her chopsticks apart and giving her meal a calculating glance. "He seems to think it a challenge to eat, but I, being a veteran of ramen consumption, have mastered the art quite effectively." And with the same deliberation, she carefully lifted a single noodle from the tangled mass, taking the time to chew it thoughtfully before swallowing. Too hungry to argue with her, he followed suit at a bit faster pace.

"Is something the matter, Haru-kun?" Puzzled by this sudden break in silence, she gave Renji a concerned glance as he choked on his half-chewed mouthful of food. Clearly, Byakuya's sudden question caught him off guard and implied some sort of concern about the girl who sat beside him despite it being delivered in the usual emotionless tone. To answer, she simply gazed at him for a moment in silence, and he watched as some inexplicable form of trepidation raced about the surface of her silvery eyes. "Do not try telling me that nothing is."

"Yeah," Renji put in, having recovered from his near-death experience. "Even I can tell something's up, so what is it?"

"It is none of your concern," she replied, filling her mouth to give her time to concoct further justification. _Kuso… exactly how am I supposed to tell him I need time off without telling him the reason? I have no reason to beat around the bush… I trust this man. _She gave him a discreet and tentative glance, only to find that Byakuya was intently studying her. Haru gazed back, searching his eyes for a motive other than the silent continuance of his interrogation, and finding none, she swallowed her food and gave a sigh of surrender. "Byakuya-sama, there is something… I need to ask of you… a favor, if you will."

"A favor?"

"Hai…" Haru tilted her ramen for a moment, watching the light play on its surface for a moment before setting it aside and resting her chopsticks on top of the cup. "I was wondering… if perhaps you would permit me… a brief respite from my usual duties."

"I know not what you speak of," he responded, sipping his tea thoughtfully as he continued his visual interview. Perhaps she would have to be more direct with her request.

"I need some time off." Renji raised an incredulous brow before grinning amusedly, though the boldness in her eyes was nothing to smile about.

"The hell could you possibly need time off for?"

"It is none of your concern," Haru repeated, this time more firmly. She kept her eyes locked on the nobleman, who spared only a fraction of his attention as he continued his evening meal in contemplation. "I have not asked much of you, Byakuya-sama… I try to keep such requests to a minimum when I can. I am already so grateful to you and your hospitality that I can hardly bear asking you for anything. However, circumstances beyond my control necessitate that I implore you to grant my request."

"Kuchiki-taichou doesn't give random days off," Renji retorted. "I remember last time I asked for a vacation…"

"It isn't a vacation." There was no doubting that that much was truth; the tone in which Haru spoke those words was free of its initial anxious quaver and laden with pure, unadulterated determination. Still, Byakuya refrained from giving Haru his full attention, the majority of which fell to his own private thoughts. "You know I would not ask for this unless extenuating conditions required it of me. You know I would much rather repay you in some way for your hospitality rather than shirk my responsibilities and put the matters of the sixth division in the back of my mind."

"Say all you want. He probably won't do it. Besides, you're pretty useful around here."

"Indeed," responded the Kuchiki, swallowing his food before taking another sip of tea. "Be cautious that she does not displace you, Renji."

"N… nani?" he cried.

"You speak of duty and responsibility to the sixth division and to me when in truth, you have aided me not at my request but of your own free will. The desire to do so no doubt originates in a gratitude you should not possess, considering the fact that your current living condition arose due to Genryuusai-dono and his orders."

"Demo…" She stopped as a stern glance traveled in her direction, willing her eyes to remain on his for a moment before dropping them shamefully to the floor.

"You do not need my permission to cease a task that you voluntarily partake in, Haru-kun," he concluded.

"But won't my absence inconvenience you?"

"Of course it will." Startled into a loss of words by the trace of difficulty laced through his tone, Haru bent her head in silent apology. Forgetting momentarily about his vice captain's presence, Byakuya allowed that trace of hunger to creep across his gaze like some dark and tentative feline. "I cannot let such a trifle inconvenience interfere with whatever it is you feel the necessity to do. You said yourself you would not abandon your voluntary employment in my office without just cause. I am confident you will justify yourself once you are finished." For a moment, Haru was overcome with trepidation; the manner in which he spoke those final words carried with it an implicit understanding of the reason for her sudden desire, one that he himself seemed to be unaware of. Once relief set in, she fell against his shoulder, clinging to his arm as he gazed at her trembling frame.

"Arigato-gonzaimasu, Byakuya-sama. I truly am not worthy of your kindness." Renji saw his captain's body stiffen slightly, as if he were in silent deliberation with himself. In truth, he half expected Byakuya to push her away or escape her grasp, but again, the Kuchiki heir left him astonished beyond words. He pressed his hand gently against the back of her head, allowing the placidity of contentment to wash over him as he tried to calm her shaking using only his own mannerisms.

"Such serious moods do not suit you, Haru-kun."

"Gomenasai."

"There is no need for an apology." Around the time that relief began sweeping over her, Haru recalled Renji's presence and withdrew with surprising rapidity, dealing the startled pair a reassuring and confident smile.

"You had better not fall behind while I am away. Otherwise, I'll be cracking skulls when I come back. Understand?"

"You say it so casually, as if it were nothing more than menial task," her host noted.

"It's a little harder than you think," Renji added.

"Indeed, you have a relatively thick skull, Renji-san."

"You little brat!" But his anger only served as a device to amuse Haru, the sprite-like apparition that for nearly a month had lingered in his captain's shadow. "Didn't I tell you to cut the formal shit?"

"Language, Renji," Byakuya reminded him.

"Fine, fine," he retorted, so relaxed that he was willing to forget his captain's authority for a little while. "That formal _crap_… better?" Haru's spirits seemed far better than they had been. The seriousness gone, it was replaced with its usual placidity, enhanced by the calm and genuine smile that overshadowed her countenance.

"We all worked hard today," she noted, tilting her tea cup thoughtfully before taking a sip.

"Don't say it like it's enjoyable." The redhead completed the task of chewing his ramen before continuing. "Being stuck here this late sucks."

"Though I am willing to concede the point, does it not at the same time carry with it a sort of peace?"

"I'm not a big fan of peace."

"What about the satisfaction of a job well done?" Haru suggested.

"Nope… can't really say I care for that, either."

"You really are hopeless," she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Make that hopeless and loud." Haru adjusted her glasses calmly beneath the dagger-like glare of Renji, removing them and cleaning their lenses with a focus that went far beyond that which was necessary. Her silvery eyes darted first to Renji, which served to quell his anger, then to Byakuya, bearing an intensity that caused his hand to twitch involuntarily. "Still… it's something I wish I could further acquaint myself with… this feeling of belonging…" There was a sort of dolefulness laced through her tone as she spoke and her eyes rose to the ceiling, but the smile displaced it effectively, putting Byakuya's interrogations at bay despite the lingering traces of concern in her eyes. She was afraid to lose something; that much was clear. Nevertheless, when Renji opened his mouth to press the issue, he received a silent warning from his captain to leave the answer to time.

* * *

Ok, I confess that it isn't my best chapter, but please don't smite me… after my past few eventful days, I don't think I could take it… I was kind enough to fend off my exhaustion and immense hunger for real food (lack of fresh-cooked meal for the past 3 days… not good) to post this chapter and go through all the pains that accompany doing so. Before I go run down a cute, furry little animal in my backyard and eat it alive, here follows your Japanese lesson of the day:

Gomen : Sorry

Baka : Stupid

Kodomo : Kid (a.k.a. what Renji calls Haru)

Itai : That hurt or it hurts or something like that… I'm not 100 certain of the spelling, but meh… I'm too tired/hungry to care… gomen…

Nani : What

Demo : But

Hai : Yes

Nandesuka : What is it

Souka : I see

Betsuni : Nothing

Ano : Japanese equivalent of "um"

Kuso : Japanese swear word. Glee!

Arigato-gonzaimasu : Formal thanks

Gomenasai : One of many formal apologies.

And there you have it. As usual, thanks to everyone who cares. I 3 you, my loving fans! More to come soon!


	22. Chapter 22: Obedience

A/N: I hate humidity. TT' Just thought I would open with that, since it is so humid right now that I could throw myself at the wall and actually stick to it. In other news, I work all day tomorrow and have a graduation party all day Saturday, and Sunday, I'm leaving to visit my friend who's like a sister whose fiancée just left her. Pardon me while I grumble a mouthful of curse words condemning his candy ass…

_Five minutes later…_

Ok, I feel better now. I don't think I've thanked my lovely fans in quite some time, so thanks to all of you, especially those of you who have been with me since January. I appreciate all your input, constructive criticism, compliments, and the time you put into reading it. I have enjoyed myself thoroughly and hope to continue doing so. And now, without further ado, I present to you chapter 22! (Hehe... I made a rhyme... )

And a quick note: I have been asked by some people (names will remain anonymous) about lemons. While I do admit that I went beyond my usual limits and stepped out of my comfort zone a little, I WILL NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER write a lemon, you sick perverts. XP This is probably as lude as it will get, and nothing inappropriate even happens in this chapter. In fact, it's not even dirty in my opinion... so there you have it... I hope I have not offended/disappointed anyone... have fun with the chapter.

* * *

_Chapter 22: Obedience_

It was nothing short of disheartening that Haru suddenly expressed a desire to leave his watchful eye in pursuit of some unknown, relevant activity. He was used to having her encouraging presence close by when sifting through the various documents that occupied his desk each morning. Whatever the situation, it remained unspoken of, and Byakuya, despite his occasional pang of loss, completed his paperwork with just as much quality and speed as he did with his guest's voluntary accompaniment only because he looked forward to evenings, trying though they were. Even the task of eating a meal with her was somewhat arduous in nature, since there was some new glint in her eyes, a facet that had heretofore remained dormant. In spite of his best efforts, Byakuya found it impossible to pinpoint the exact source, much less come to a concrete decision as to what exactly that glimmer signified.

The respite seemed to be doing her no good, as typically, she looked wearier than she did at the end of their usual day. Then again, it could be partly due to the fact that, directly after waking, Byakuya found her to be absent. Where she went was beyond him, but feeling it was not at present his right to know, he consumed his tea and breakfast alone before leaving his estate behind. He considered the possibility that the reason she ate so vigorously at dinner was due to her abstaining from food during the day, though Keiji reassured him that she ate a light brunch and consumed tea in excess. Painful as it was, her absence served as a reminder that her presence was a temporary luxury that would inevitably pass and leave him to his solitary routine.

In truth, Byakuya was more concerned than he was willing to admit. A heavy glow of health seemed to fill Haru's every word, though they were more deliberately chosen than they had been prior to her inexplicable request. The conversations that passed between them were more distant and chiefly concerned small tidbits of impersonal information that, to him, seemed irrelevant and furthermore hard to recall accurately at times. She was still beside him when he slept, facing him without touching him, and the space between them only served to remind Byakuya of the growing chasm of distance between them.

By Friday, his composure was beginning to falter. Haru was sitting in the garden when he came home, running her eyes over whatever volume occupied her lap while taking a swill of her tea. Other than that, she had no company, nor did she seem to acknowledge her host when he approached her. He was admittedly hungry after spending yet another day in the office, but greater hungers were more pressing than dinner. Frustration washed over him yet did not manifest itself in his actions. He simply lifted the book with a sluggish, deliberate hand and easily removed it from her own despite a whimper of protest and a failed attempt to reclaim her subject matter. She leapt forward to seize it, but his other hand fell on her shoulder, thwarting Haru's second attempt at reclamation. "Haru-kun, I need to speak with you."

Obediently, Haru stopped struggling and peered at him calmly, adjusting her glasses and setting her back against the sakura tree again. "I am listening," she reassured him.

"Your motives… what are they?"

"I am unsure of what you mean."

"Surely, you did not take three days off to do some light reading." To emphasize his point, his eyes fell to the book in his hand. Only then did he realize it was from his own library, a volume of older British poetry translated into Japanese. It had been so long since he opened it that he forgot its existence entirely, yet there it was, hanging from his hand as if pleading silently to be returned to a more appreciative party. Her eyes gave her response for her, drawing the question almost unwillingly from Byakuya. "Then why?"

"I cannot say."

"Haru-kun…"

"Threaten me with what you like. It does not change the fact that I must maintain my silence." There was desperation laced into her words, and a trepidation that his gaze was able to penetrate the sanctity of her thought, to discover her true reason for partaking in a reluctant disappearance. "Tomorrow…" she murmured. "I promise I will tell you, but not until tomorrow."

"And why can you not tell me now?" he demanded. "What motive could you have for making me wait?"

"I was told not to speak by a superior. Is that not reason enough?" The frustration in his eyes was manifest and smoldered with seldom seen clarity. Dolefully, she shut her own and sighed, gritting her teeth as his hand forced her back against the tree but giving no other indicator of her discomfort. When it became too much, she instinctively wrapped a hand around her sword, and, knowing full well he would dodge the swing, hastily proceeded to throw one in his general direction. He landed a short distance away, peering at her with violated eyes until he conceived in her own the purpose of her strike. "If you defeat me, I will tell you now."

"Do you promise?"

"I swear on everything I hold dear." Her haori drifted through the air as she cast it away and rose to her feet. "But if I win, I must ask you to exercise patience a little while longer."

"I accept your terms, then." They spoke no words after that; their swords did the talking for them. Senbonzakura leapt out of its sheath, shooting in the direction of Haru's sword with the same hunger Byakuya currently felt. Suzaku emerged to meet it, winking dangerously as it fluttered through the air. They exchanged several blows before Haru finally leapt back, twisting her body to avoid the jab and countering when he followed through with the stroke. Her eyes blazed with the thrill of the fight, bearing some semblance to her released zanpakutoh's final attack. Her secret kindled the flame to almost intolerable levels, but more than that lurked behind her eyes. They were calculating, recollecting with every step whatever task she had occupied herself with for the past three days. Byakuya returned her to reality with a particularly hard blow, which nearly wretched her sword free of her grip. "Focus on your opponent, Haru, not on your thoughts."

He was forced to withdraw when her foot shot towards his stomach. Just managing to block the blade that followed it, the Kuchiki found her eyes level with his own and full of that boundless determination. "Perhaps I was merely strategizing," she responded, forcing his blade aside, creating an opening that she utilized to her fullest. Her foot wrapped around his ankle, throwing him off balance enough to lose pressure momentarily, just long enough for her to draw back and raise her other foot with the full intention of knocking him across his own garden, but Byakuya caught the blow before it reached him only to receive a forceful strike from the other as she put her weight on her hands and freed herself of his grip.

Despite having been winded by the kick, her opponent rushed forward again, catching her zanpakutoh with his own in a moment where her grip was weak. Haru hardly realized its abandonment as his sword came to rest against her shoulder, drawing from her composure a deep and profound bewilderment. She gave an involuntary shiver as its cold steel touched her bare skin. Then, her face broke into a defeated and conflicted smile the likes of which goaded a trace of guilt from the depths of Byakuya's soul. "Very well," she said at last, gingerly removing herself from the Senbonzakura's reach to retrieve her own weapon. "I shall tell you…"

But as she stood erect with the wooden sheath in one hand and her sword in the other, Haru found speaking impossible. At some point, she had been captured by the enemy, constricted in a powerful, vice-like grip that spoke volumes of a desperation he could not put into words. Her back was pressed against his chest, beneath which his heart beat rapidly from having exerted such physical effort, drawing an involuntary gasp from Haru's lungs. She succumbed to his grasp wordlessly, her breaths stilling as his grip loosened slightly. "You do not need to tell me," he replied quietly. "I have something else in mind…" Byakuya leaned forward, pressing his mouth against her ear as Haru's body resisted the growing urge to return his affections. Feeling her tense in his grasp, he leaned forward and placed a reassuring kiss against her temple. Then, his head fell against her shoulder, his breath brushing against the very ear he had moments before leaned against. "You are so tense, Haru-kun… if you ask nicely, I will let you go."

"A little longer," she murmured, forgetting her resolution and releasing both her sword and sheath as she tilted her head back and allowed a contented sigh to escape her.

"I still do not understand… why do you erect this barrier against me when you have no wish for it?"

"It is called self-control." Byakuya shifted his weight unexpectedly, causing the surface against which Haru's back was pressed to shift with it. She bit back the cry that threatened to escape, pressing against him only to find the sensation magnified. Her strength waned beyond recovery, draining to the point that caused her knees to shake and nearly buckle. Sensing her weakness, Byakuya shifted one arm tentatively around her waist while the other remained around her shoulders. "Don't… move again," she requested, allowing her head to drop forward so her chin rested against his forearm.

"You have lost weight, Haru-kun… have you been eating?"

"Enough to sustain me."

"Apparently not," Byakuya replied. "Are you anxious about something?"

"What would I be anxious about?"

"I withdraw my concern," he retorted. "If you are well enough to argue, then it must not be anything serious."

"Dinner should be ready soon."

"Another sign that you are doing fine." His relief was cut short by the way she refused to allow his release of her. With trembling hands, she clung to the arm laced around her shoulders, wordlessly fighting their inevitable separation. Allowing himself a secret smile, Byakuya nuzzled the back of her neck and obliged her silent request that he hold on for a moment longer. "Haru-kun." Her head rose to show she was listening, and the slightest glimpse of violet flashed over her shoulder at the regal captain, who, for the third time that evening, pressed his mouth against Haru's ear. His hesitance was shattered by a moment of boldness, which flashed through his eyes like a white hot dagger of light splitting a cloudy sky, and in a tone she was still growing familiar with, Byakuya uttered his request. "Let me wash your back for you."

She peered at him through her glasses as if what he had uttered was pure sacrilege delivered in the form of one very cruel joke, but his eyes unveiled nothing more than seriousness. A tint of red quickly worked its way into her face, causing her to hide it with both hands. When she deemed them an inadequate barrier, she leaned against Byakuya, who gently pressed the girl against his shoulder and stroked the back of her head. Innocent eyes meandered to his, whirling with an unimaginable number of sentiments that somehow melded into one incomprehensible, unreadable tangle. As she had not yet denied his request, his gaze betrayed him and revealed to her what he would not speak of himself, that he was still patiently waiting for an answer. "All right," she sighed, a fog alighting on the lenses of her glasses. An incredulous Byakuya was the last thing Haru expected, especially since he was made so by mere words. "I will let you."

Those words stripped Haru of her ability to question exactly how she wound up like that following dinner, with nothing but a towel and the sluggish, steamy fingers to shield her body from view and Byakuya on his knees behind her, wearing a white kimono with sleeves slightly shorter than his usual attire. She could only wait and wonder why she could never bring herself to deny his outlandish requests, but all thoughts were driven from her mind as a pair of deliberate hands gathered her hair and gently rested it over her right shoulder. The two perpendicular blue lines, as if sensing the obsidian eyes locked on them, tingled with incredible frequency. "Don't stare at it!" Haru protested.

"How can I not?" Byakuya's eyes searched the planes of her olive skin, traversing them in an endless path without focus. "I have wanted to see this in full light since the night you first showed me."

"If that was all you wanted, you would not be subjecting me to such treatment." Byakuya relished the sound she emitted when one lazy, pale finger brushed against her shoulders, drawing from her a violent and involuntary shudder.

"Perhaps it looked soft," he said, more to himself than to the vulnerable-feeling girl. "You are handling my scarf all the time. It is practically the same thing."

"Such peculiar logic… you really are mad." Her ears picked up the sound of water dripping off the cloth, which caused her muscles to tense involuntarily with the thought of things to come. She shifted her weight to ensure the stool on which she sat was sturdy while tentatively watching the dark-eyed Byakuya over her shoulder. His right eye was hidden by a lock of hair, but the other contained such focus as she herself had used during the past three days. A breath escaped her lungs as the cloth touched her back, summoning intense pleasure and discomfort at the same time. So concentrated was the sensation that her eyes fell shut as she tried to make sense of it, leaving Byakuya unsupervised in his task.

"If I am mad, it is only because you make me so." That tone was enough to redden her cheeks far beyond the usual state. He paused as he noted the single eye peering over her shoulder, that cocktail of silver and violet that regarded him helplessly. "It is nice to see you looking vulnerable for once… other than when you are sleeping, I mean. I am a little disheartened at your absence in the morning, as it means I do not get to see this side of you." The way she trembled and tensed beneath his touch drew the slightest smile to his lips that bore faint traces of his underlying disheartenment. Unable to rid himself of it, Byakuya halted, waiting for her to make some sort of response, and when she remained silent, he began to withdraw.

"Iie…" Haru's head bent beneath the weight of her own confliction. Nonetheless, she was overcome by her less rational tendencies, which were kept at bay by the air moving slowly across her skin. "Don't stop." That was all the more encouragement he needed to continue his task, following the moist cloth with his eyes as it meandered the surface of her back.

"I thought I was hurting you."

"Not at all," she replied, this time with less uncertainty. "It is simply strange… I have never let anyone get this close to me before."

"The quincy?"

"When I say no one, I mean no one." The noble bowed his head in consideration for a moment.

"Then your parents?"

"I never sat still long enough for them to."

"Urahara?"

"Hell, no. He is perverted enough without an open invitation, thank you very much… not that he would have tried anything. I was still a child when I stayed with him, and he respected both my father and my mother enough to grant me the inheritance of that respect."

"Souka," he responded, allowing his smile to return since Haru seemed to lack the proverbial eyes in the back of her head. "May I ask you a question, Haru-kun?"

"Feel free to ask me anything you like. Just don't think that guarantees an answer."

"Nande?" She felt the weight of the word sink into her as he washed away the day's labors, ceasing momentarily to clarify his inquiry. "You let me get so close to you, closer than anyone you have ever known, yet you provide no reason justifying the privilege. Why do you grant me such trust, Haru-kun?"

"Does the reason matter?" Haru threw a glance over her shoulder, smiling with reassurance. "I know I can trust you… I am not sure how, but I know. Besides, I find it very difficult to deny your requests, no matter how strange and absurd they are."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if you had really wanted me to uphold my end of the deal, you would have stuck with our original agreement if you had no interest in me, and if you did, then I would be the one washing your back. Yet here we are, and neither have come to pass. Bearing that in mind, I must ask you why you requested such a thing of me." A familiar trace of calculation surfaced in her gaze, adding to the overall effect of inquiry and bewilderment. Wordlessly, and with eyes averted, Byakuya gently poured a bucket of water over her skin, forcing the curtain of lather to part way and expose the vibrant blue cross.

"An unseen reminder…" His words trailed off as he pressed his palm against the intersection of those lines, drawing the slightest unorthodox emanation from the otherwise silent girl. "It truly is remarkable, Haru-kun… that a girl your age could carry such a heavy weight on your shoulders." To emphasize his point, he leaned forward, lacing one arm around her shoulders despite Haru's every attempt at protest. "To carry that weight with such grace while retaining your innocence… is truly a feat that deserves commending." Even if it was, Haru silently admitted her inability to perform a task as simple as speaking. Her breaths had become quick for no reason at all, as if she had just run a marathon. Byakuya remained calm and placid, leaning forward and expelling a breath against the back of her neck that caused her to shudder and shift her weight. His hand shifted, drawing from her incoherent pleas that were lost in translation.

"Are you listening, Haru-kun?" Her answer was nothing more than a wordless nod, which was sufficient enough for him. There was something dark racing through his eyes as he leaned forward, pressing her back against his chest and clinging to her shoulders as she squirmed and gasped for breath. "I will let you push me away if that is what you truly desire. Otherwise, I want there to be nothing between us."

"Nothing?" Haru echoed, peering at her host incredulously as she vainly attempted to control her breathing.

"You say my logic is askew, yet you do not bestow your own with such labels. Asking you to wash your back… it was a favor for you which you have greatly rewarded me for by complying. It is perfectly logical… but erecting barriers where you do not truly wish barriers to exist… that is the logic of the mad." There was a subtle trace of anger in his tone, though from where it originated, she could only surmise. The fault was clearly hers, because she had kept her distance for the past few days. It was a display of affection, no doubt, that he had succumbed to stooping behind her, but it was also a torturous form of revenge that wounded neither her feelings nor her flesh but served only to wash her restraint away.

The pressure against her skin was soon swept away of Byakuya's own free will. Haru was left trembling on her stool, clutching the towel as she gasped for breath at the agonizing loss of that contact. "I shall now leave you to bathe in peace, Haru-kun."

"H… hai…" She spoke without turning around, listening as the door slid shut and the sound of silence overwhelmed her. _Byakuya-sama… were you… _ There was no way to tell for sure whether or not he was trembling while he completed his task. For one thing, he would never admit it, and for another, it would only anger him further if she asked. _What reason could you possess for trembling? Were you really that furious with me? Or were you frightened? What was it? _The bath did nothing to still her thoughts, even if it was relaxing. She found herself dwelling on the recent events of the past, of his hands as they worked against her flesh, of the steam that did little to hide the indifferent mask he always wore and the traces of the smile that seeped through. As she sunk deeper into the scalding water, she arrived at the conclusion that, at the moment, it didn't matter.

When it truly began to matter was in her walk to his bedroom. Having been spared the usual enjoyment of her bath, Haru moved through the empty corridors, an unseen passing shadow. Tentatively, she slid the ribbon through her fingers, sighing heavily and adjusting her glasses as she rested her head against the door. _At times like this, I only think of you, Byakuya-sama, instead of focusing on my ability to regurgitate information. _She should have cared a bit more, but she couldn't. Instead, she simply pushed the door open to find her host lying on his side, curled into a ball beneath the covers and facing away from the empty space where she usually slept. After pushing the door closed and placing her zanpakutoh in the corner, she paced to the futon, removing her glasses as she knelt beside him. He showed no sign of acknowledging her, not even a change in his breathing, leading her to the immediate conclusion that he was already asleep.

"These past few days have been hard on you," she murmured, though it seemed she was only addressing the empty darkness of the room. "Gomenasai… I did not mean to trouble you. I simply wished to focus on my current task. It is important… that I stay focused on this. If I do not, I may think about what happens after, and then… then I'll be nothing but a dreary, emotional mess like I was when I first came here." Resolutely, Haru folded her hands in her lap, pained that the words could not reach him. "You have changed me so much, Byakuya-sama… when I am with you, I feel as though I could actually fly, even on these broken wings. But they aren't broken anymore, are they? Iie… it is because of you that they have begun to heal." She raised her wrist to the pale light seeping through the window, sliding along his damp obsidian locks and along the silver ribbon in her hair. It now abandoned these efforts to embrace the silver cross, which swayed as she moved her arm. "I can wear this now, and acknowledge my father's heritage. I have even gone so far as to use that name… the same name that killed me… demo…" Her smile faded as she bowed her head to glance at the Kuchiki again. "Demo… it is no good if you rid yourself of me. Being with you… makes the pain seem so distant. I feel as if I have much to learn from you because you are just that fascinating."

She had to speak the words; hiding did no good and only tormented her. Haru tightened her fists and allowed her shoulders to tremble, as if they were going to buckle beneath the unseen weight she bore. "You are a luxury I cannot afford to lose, Byakuya-sama. I… I feel as though I need to be here, by your side, not because of pity, but because I must be certain that your kindness towards me does not lead you to an ill fate. I… even though it's illogical, I… I need you there. I need you there so I know I have somewhere to turn to in times when I have joy and sorrow to share, even if you don't take me seriously. That's why…"

The startled girl rapidly shifted her gaze from the futon beneath her to Byakuya, whose pale hand rested against her own. It was the pressure that cut the rest of her confession to ribbons before it even took form in her mind. Silvery eyes peered out of the darkness, glimmering with unshed tears that drew him from his warm shelter and into a sitting position. Now freed from their usual prison, the obsidian locks had become slightly unruly, concealing the greater part of his left eye as he rose. His sleeping kimono hung on one shoulder, leaving the other bare and fair game for the faint starlight creeping through the window. Failing to recall a time when he looked more appealing, Haru's face flushed as she turned away, though it was more at the fact that he likely listened intently to every word she had spoken.

"It is not that I do not take you seriously."

"Then what?"

"I am ashamed," he responded, hesitance gnawing at his tone. Clearly, Haru was surprised by this revelation and the sincerity with which it was delivered. "I am ashamed because I forced you into a position where you had no choice but to be vulnerable when all I really wanted was to close the growing void between us, a void that seems not to exist at all. I let my passions, my darker passions no less, rule my reason. Because of your ability to do so, I say you drive me mad." She felt the weight of his forehead as it rested against his shoulder, but she endeavored to remain in a seated position. "I cannot ask you for forgiveness I do not deserve…"

"What is all this nonsense about forgiveness?" she interrupted. "I'll hear nothing of it, not when there is nothing to forgive you for." Byakuya sighed heavily, and when his weight became too much to bear, Haru simply fell back on the futon, sprawling out on her back and staring at the ceiling. He made no move to do anything but remain where he was. "Did you mean everything you said earlier?"

"That you are a remarkable young woman for bearing your family heritage? But of course I did… what reason do I have to fabricate such sentiments?" Silence was the only answer he received. For some reason, it was enough to still the gnawing jaw of his curiosity for once. Quite suddenly, a vivid flash of those lines on her flawless skin raced through his mind, causing him to clutch her hand even tighter.

"Byakuya-sama?"

"It feels as though we are too far apart."

"Baka," she murmured, turning onto her side and pressing her free hand against his face. Seeing those eyes so close, she could almost read the hunger in them. "I will say it again: I have never been this close to anyone before. I was never given the chance… and though it seems rather peculiar that after a mere month, I lay beside you with no qualms, it is the truth. Your presence seems to be capable of subduing the part of me that normally pushes people away, and that in itself is remarkable."

"You almost sound as if you admire me," he said, pressing his forehead against the slight opening in her sleeping kimono.

"I do. I admire you for your composure, your strength, and your status, but more so for the man you are behind that mask." Haru made no move to stop him as he pulled her closer, winding one hand behind her head to remove the restraint from her hair. His midnight eyes were full of pure intensions, and so she tolerated his close proximity for the moment. Only after he was finished did she pull away, and solely for the sake of sliding between the covers to attain more warmth than he alone could give her. Once he followed suit, he drew the protesting Haru to him, silencing her with a gentle touch to her back that made her acceptance more ready. His hand stilled, and a pair of midnight eyes glimpsed the seemingly frail girl in his arms, taking in the pale blush of her cheek with mild satisfaction.

"Stay with me."

"Hmm?" she asked, startled by the sudden break in silence.

"Stay with me… if only just until I wake up tomorrow."

"Nani? Don't I get any tea?"

"If you want it," he murmured, nuzzling her neck and emitting a weary sigh. Pleased to see this made Haru move closer, he shut his eyes and gave himself over to sleep with the full confidence that she would be true to her word, and she was. For the first morning in three days, Byakuya lavished her back with touches to awaken her, relishing every whimper and shudder he could draw from her.

"Byakuya-sama, please…"

"Please what?" he inquired.

"Don't… stop…" The remainder of her protests became incoherent again as his fingers shifted. "Gods… you're rotten to the core."

"For enjoying myself?"

"For tormenting me so," Haru returned, seizing a fistful of his kimono when he splayed his fingers and then gently moved them down her spine. When at last, they came to a rest, Haru breathed a deep sigh of relief and contented herself with enjoying his presence.

"How can it be torment if you enjoy it?" She smiled with the usual secrecy before escaping his grasp and attempting to tidy her hair. Byakuya smoothed the final lock from her face, fixing his dark eyes on her intently.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing at all. I was merely admiring."

"You are still a terrible liar," Haru said, laughing at the horrified look that crept into his gaze. She turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling as the tumultuous amusement raced through her veins. "I suppose it matters not." He seemed to relax a bit at her sudden loss of interest, yet the trouble was etched clearly in his features as Haru became preoccupied with matters that he was not yet aware of. Her silvery-violet eyes became clouded for a moment with a focus so intense that he secretly felt the stirrings of uncertainty, but they cleared the very moment his gaze appeared directly over her own.

"Such seriousness does not suit you, Haru-kun." He placed a ginger kiss on her forehead and sat up, still examining her from the corner of his eye. Curiosity crept through his gaze, mingling with the faint traces of contentment that crept through his emotional barricade.

"Byakuya-sama."

"Hmm?"

"What… what exactly do you intend to do after I am placed into a division?"

"You do not need to worry about that for some time," he said in a reassuring tone, but instead of comforting her, it caused Haru to sit up, her usual grace weighted with an unseen burden that, as of yet, he was unaware of.

"This will end when I am seated. You said yourself that I was only to stay here until that time, so… what will happen to me then?" It was difficult for him to properly recall their conversation, as so much had changed since that time. As he thought, he took a lock of her hair in his fingers, allowing it to flow through at a sluggish rate as he memorized its texture and observed the sheen of the growing day against it.

"I suppose that all depends on what you desire." Haru was just about to ask him what he meant when a knock interrupted her. Discontent with the intrusion, Byakuya released her hair and watched Keiji as he entered and set the tea down.

"I didn't expect you to still be here, Haru-san… by this point, you are usually hard at work," he noted.

"Even I need a break on occasion." She smiled amiably as the servant bowed his head again and left the pair in solitude. Haru poured the tea with an unwavering hand, lifting one cup and giving it to her host while taking the other for herself.

"Dare I ask what it is you have occupied yourself with for the past few days?" As an answer, Haru peered at him through a curtain of steam.

"You already know, as you caught me in the garden yesterday."

"Is that all?"

"But of course," Haru responded, tilting her cup again. "Do you think I have been causing trouble? I can assure you that is not the case."

"Iie… that is…"

"You did, didn't you?" Her question was set in a tone full of certainty rather than accusation. "I can assure you, I have done nothing to neither upset your estate nor disturb the routine of its servants."

"That is not the issue here. What I mean to discover is exactly what purpose you have in shutting yourself up just to read."

"Perhaps I simply needed some time to recover."

"And you call me a terrible liar…" Byakuya murmured, sipping his tea as he silently deliberated. Having finished her own, Haru rested her glasses on the bridge of her nose, adjusting them with great contemplation before setting about the task of restraining her lengthy nutmeg hair. Feeling his dark eyes studying her every move, Haru returned his gaze, regarding him with a mixture of private agony and unbearable affection. "Is something the matter?"

"Iie," she said heatedly, turning her head slightly to fix her gaze on something else. _After today, it will all be over… _ But her host did not allow her to dwell on such heavy thoughts. His movements were filled with the usual pristine grace and gentleness he frequently used in displaying his affection for Haru. Running a pair of fingers against the side of her cheek, Byakuya pressed his palm to it, a silent request to turn to him. She complied without hesitation, allowing every ounce of her attention to be swallowed up by those piercing eyes. "Byakuya-sama…"

"I knew I was forgetting something." Just as with the first meeting of their lips in the dark of night, Haru felt the fire spring to her cheeks as he leaned forward. Her eyes fell shut, and she was swept away for a moment by his ministration, so full of controlled passion that she felt as if the world vanished beneath her feet and she was fated to fall forever. Once the moment passed, Byakuya drew back, keeping his hands against her cheeks as she trembled and gasped for air, fighting the desire to throw herself forward and forget about what the day held for her. Fortunately, her reason remained stable, and with a smile of thanks, she wound her arms around his neck and returned his gesture, though Haru took far less time and fewer pains than he had.

"Last night was wonderful," Haru stated, grinning as the same blush rose to her cheeks. "Perhaps one day, you will let me return the favor?" Before waiting for his answer, she flitted away on light, airy footsteps, retrieving her sword and leaving the semi-impassioned shinigami to his morning routine.

"That girl…" he mused aloud, touching his lips thoughtfully, "is terribly audacious." The weight of his solitude was easily washed away with the remainder of his tea. To his disappointment, Haru did not join him for breakfast; she seemed to have vanished entirely from the estate, as Keiji delivered her apology and her promise that she would see him again at dinner. _Make that terribly audacious… and terribly curious, _he thought as he tread the familiar path, taking every effort to arrive on time as Renji was still taking great pains to remind him of his tardiness earlier that week. Normally, a subtle warning in the form of a glare was enough to caution him against pursuing the subject, yet it inevitably came up as a reminder that even the ever-proper Kuchiki Byakuya was prone to moments of imperfection under the right circumstances.

But on that particular morning, it was different. Renji stalked into the office six or seven minutes late, walking casually to his captain's desk and coming to a stop just in front of it. "So, you finally worked it out?"

"I am not sure what you are referring to," he responded without glancing up from his paperwork.

"I had a feeling something was up between you and that girl."

"I still do not know…" Byakuya objected.

"Oh, come on, taichou… I'm not that stupid." He raised his eyes from the form in his hand, but only to silently chastise his vice captain. "Well, something must've happened… you seem less serious today."

"I believe if anything happened, which it did not, it would be between myself and Haru-kun."

"And that's another thing… you've been calling her that for how long now? You don't just address people that way too often, not even your own sister."

"Renji," he stated flatly.

"Hai, taichou?" He waited for Byakuya to say something for a long moment, but the raven-haired shinigami remained preoccupied with his form until its completion, at which point his eyes found Renji and iced over.

"Kindly stop procrastinating and get back to work."

* * *

The streets were always empty that early in the morning. Typical shinigami did not have to be on duty until nine o'clock, so Haru took full advantage of it. She bolted along the rooftops without care, leaping down only when she deemed it convenient. Her eyes were locked on the hell butterfly drifting through the air, guiding her to her destination, but for some reason, the skyline beckoned her to pause for a moment. The sun was about to disembark the line that it would eventually return to. Standing on the rooftop as she was, she was more susceptible to see and be seen. The brilliant golden orb, which currently painted the sky with its fiery palette, peered warmly at her as she smiled at it, raising her arm to block its brilliant rays before they could blind her.

Around that time, however, she recalled her purpose, and in doing so leapt down from the roof. She continued forward with no regard to what blocked her path, which ended badly for both Haru and her impromptu, unsuspecting road block. A heap of two shinigami struck the ground, though only one of them cried out. Startled by the sudden impact, Haru had allowed herself the privilege of expressing it. She sat up, rubbing her head and straightening her glasses, mumbling about how much it hurt when she suddenly became aware of a gaze piercing her. Calmly, Haru allowed her eyes to drift over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of white hair and eyes the color of jade. "Ano… sumimasen," she responded, smiling amiably despite his obvious displeasure. Around the time she stood, Haru again recalled her task, yet she forced herself to risk it. The white haori didn't lie… the boy leering up at her was a captain. "It was entirely my fault… I didn't see you there. I wasn't really paying attention… I hope you aren't injured…"

"I'm fine," he retorted, shifting his weight in order to aid his rising. For some reason, the silvery eyes focusing on him were unsettling despite their politeness. He glanced at the hand held out to him but refrained from taking it, dusting himself off with indifference before he stood to his full height. She peered at him, a little startled by the fact that she could see straight over his head. "Is something wrong?"

"Iie." The smile on her face grew warmer, was chased off by some underlying purpose, and with a swift bow of apology, she turned and bolted.

"Matte!" he ordered, but her airy footsteps did not cease. Instead, she glanced over her shoulder and raised her left hand, from which there appeared a glimmer not entirely unfamiliar to him.

"Sumimasen, taichou-san! I promise I won't run into you next time!" And with that, she flashed away from sight, leaving Hitsugaya Toushiro to contemplate the strange encounter. Meanwhile, Haru bolted along, completely unhampered by her unintentional bump into the tenth division captain. The hell butterfly glided along slowly, and the whole time, Haru risked running into someone else because she kept her eyes locked solely on it. She had nearly lost sight of it during her apology. When things began to look familiar, she peered ahead and past it; already, it was looking as though she would not be on time, but by some miracle, she spotted the designated building and retained her punctuality. After leaning against a wall for a few moments, trying vainly to stay her breath, Haru clutched her stomach, furious at having been denied the luxury of breakfast, and walked cautiously forward. There were two guards posted at the door, each regarding her with suspicion as she treaded the ground with steady feet. Once her shoulders were straightened, they seemed a bit taken aback by the air of nobility stirring around her. "My name is Tokazawa Miharu," she said confidently, gripping her sword with both hands as she stared up at the guards. "I have come at the request of Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryuusai and Captain of the thirteenth division, Ukitake Jyuushiro, in order that they may determine my seating."

To her relief, she did not have to plead her case. One of the two guards knocked twice on the door and stepped aside, allowing the girl to enter despite her misgivings. Once Haru left the radiance of the sun behind her, she glanced tentatively back. _Byakuya-sama, I wish words could express my appreciation for everything you have done for me, and especially for letting me hide in your shadow for this long. However… I fear it is time for me to stand alone. I truly will miss spending days with you in that office and nights by your sleeping side. If only those days could last forever…_

When the final glimmer of sun vanished behind the door, Haru turned on her heel and started down the hall. There was no tension in her steps, no traces of worry fluttering incessantly about her stomach, and no hesitance whatsoever in any of her mannerisms. There was only an iota of nostalgia, as she felt every step carry her away from all that she knew and towards an end of those days she desperately wished to hold on to. "Haiku," she murmured to herself. "Summer leaves are plucked from their branches by fall's chill only to return." For some reason, it gave her comfort to hold onto something familiar in the walk down that long and silent hall, with only the slight echoes of her own feet to keep her company.

Haru arrived at the end of the hall and turned left, keeping her hands folded at all times around her sword while the cross swung gently from her left wrist. Upon coming to the third door on her right, she rapped twice and waited to receive some verbal indicator that she could enter. It came after a few moments, at which point she crossed the threshold and bowed her head to the three standing captains. She recognized Ukitake and Yamamoto without thought, but the third captain was entirely unfamiliar to her. "Come closer, Haru-san," said a cheery Ukitake. "We don't bite."

"Hai," she responded, walking steadily forward. Once her feet stopped moving, Haru bowed her head again so her eyes were locked on the ground.

"Tokazawa Miharu."

"Hai, Soutaichou-sama?"

"Before we begin, I believe introductions are in order. You are already acquainted with Jyuushiro and myself, but not with him. Am I correct?"

"Hai," she responded, raising her eyes to peer at the lazy-looking captain. "My name is Tokazawa Miharu, as you already know. Hajimimashite."

"Kyoraku Shunshi, captain of the eighth division," he responded, tilting his straw hat up to allow him a better view. "Say, you're kind of cute, Haru-chan… in a little kid sort of way." The moment she heard the words "cute," "little," and "kid," Haru inwardly vowed to someday crack his skull open, but no trace of her anger made its way to her face. She simply raised a brow in curiosity and outwardly dismissed it. "Then again, you are just a kid…"

"I ask that you not let my age or appearance grant you the permission of underestimating me, Kyoraku-taichou," she reminded in as polite a tone as she could muster up, adding a smile that masked her irritation perfectly.

"We will now begin the oral portion of your exam, if you are ready, Tokazawa-san."

"Hai." Her cursory response was instinctive but appropriate, and once she lowered herself into the chair, she continued listening intently as Genryuusai began drilling her on kidou. _This is not so difficult, _she thought reassuringly. _I wonder… how Byakuya-sama is doing…_

The sound of a sneeze, the fourth or fifth that morning, drew Renji's attention away from the form in front of him. Startled, he abandoned his post and crept into his captain's office, peering in at the stoic noble as he focused on the form in front of him as if his work had never been disrupted. "You know that means someone's thinking about you, right, taichou?" The attentiveness in his gaze hardened at the reminder. "I'll bet it's that kid you always keep around."

"Renji…" The name was spoken as a warning that did not in the least deter the redhead from continuing on.

"She's really something, ain't she? No matter what happens, she won't quit fighting, not even if she's two seconds from death. Odds don't mean anything to her…"

"In that respect, she reminds me of her mother," Byakuya admitted. "Fortunately, she has far more class than Misuzu ever did."

"So you're saying if she didn't have class, you wouldn't keep her around?"

"What sort of question is that?"

"The hypothetical kind… you know… just curious."

"It is hard to say what could have been when things are as they are," he responded after a moment of thought. When he glanced up again, his eyes were cloudy with consideration, but not on the current subject. A ray of anticipation scattered the incomprehensible haze momentarily, but it soon settled in again.

"You worried about her?"

"I am merely at a loss for hypotheses on precisely how she had been spending her spare time."

"And that worries you?" Renji inquired.

"I never said I was worried," he replied firmly, as if suddenly recalling his duties. "Worry is wasted effort. Now, get back to work, Renji." The irritation in his voice stemmed from more than this growing habit of his vice captain to slack off while using nothing more than the subtle manner of delivering words to torment his mind. He refrained from reprimanding his vice captain, however, for the sole sake of repenting. Revenge had been the spur that pricked his intent, and while it was admittedly so that both he and Haru took a great deal of pleasure in the events of the previous night, Byakuya felt the experience was tainted by his own internal susceptibility to protect his own pride, both as a noble and as a captain, regardless of the cost. For that reason, he allowed Renji to get away with interrogating him about the girl and reminding him of his weaknesses.

With a sigh, Byakuya eyed the clock. It was four minutes past twelve, and its hands weren't moving nearly fast enough. For Haru, on the other hand, it seemed like they had just begun when Shunsui noted the time. "Oy, Yama-jii, you think we should give Haru-chan a break?" Haru had only begun explaining some obscure statute by the request of Genryuusai to ensure she understood its significance. Nonetheless, he had waited until she finished her sentence to make any mention of the time. She leaned back and glanced at the clock, silently analyzing its time in disbelief. Then, she turned her eyes back to her trio of examiners. "Is all this really necessary? What she doesn't know, she'll learn. She seems like a smart kid, and besides, she looks hungry."

"Iie… not at all…" Haru condemned her stomach as it snarled an indicator of her lie, bringing a shameful touch of crimson to her cheeks. "I can continue if you so desire. I actually think better on an empty stomach." To her surprise, a reply resounded through the silent room, bringing a wily grin to Shunsui's face. "By the look of things, Kyoraku-taichou, you are the one that is hungry," she retorted, laughing gently behind her hand.

"Well, that, and it's not good for Jyuushiro's health if he doesn't eat at regular intervals."

"And unlike her, you can't think on an empty stomach," Ukitake responded in jest, "if you even think at all."

"Settle down, you two," said the captain commander in a stern tone. "This is the final question of the oral exam. Once she finishes, I will call for lunch."

"But Jyuushiro's just wasting away…"

"Not likely," Haru responded. "Even given his condition, it would take Ukitake-taichou at least a week and a half to starve to death, but he would likely die of dehydration before that happened."

"And how, pray tell, does someone as pure as you know that?" Genryuusai demanded.

"It is a morbid piece of trivia I picked up along the line… at any rate, we were discussing the restricted use of bankai, correct?" she inquired. Her question brought the group back on track, which Genryuusai silently thanked her for.

"Continue."

"The statute was set one-thousand nine-hundred seventy nine years ago by Miyake Arata. A lower member of his squad and several other squad members were given the task of eliminating some hollow that had invaded Europe. The use of bankai during the expedition resulted in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which in turn buried the city of Pompeii and its residents. While the squad member's name does not survive in history, evidence exists that there was no intention on the part of the wielder. Thus, he or she did not receive a heavy sentence and was allowed to continue working in Seireitei. As a result, Miyake and his squad petitioned for a law that would restrict the use of bankai to situations or individuals in which one's captain explicitly approves or for scenarios that fit into the category of Class A emergencies and above."

"An example," Genryuusai murmured, his eyes growing slightly harder, but Haru quavered not beneath them. She rose from her chair calmly, noting the manner in which she was being regarded.

"Situations are deemed Class A when the number of hollows per shinigami is greater than five hundred, or when the number of menos per shinigami climbs over one hundred. Bankai is also authorized in times when Seireitei falls under enemy attack, as was the case with the Bounto and with the group of five ryoka that broke in recently. Further use is permitted during training in order to hone one's skills wielding it, and, of course, when captains call for it. So… an example…" she echoed, raising a hand to her chin. A dark look flitted across her eyes as she scanned the line of men. "If perchance I achieved bankai, I would use it only if Aizen himself came down here, or if I received an order from a captain to do so. The only other exception I would make is if something so dear to me was threatened, I would have nothing to lose and no other option other than to implement such a highly advanced form." There was a pause in her words and in her steps as she tightened one hand around her sword. "I honestly hope you do not count that against me, Soutaichou-sama… but I have lost too many precious things in my life to bear losing another."

"It isn't always good to feel," Ukitake noted.

"True… the key is to balance thought and emotion and use them in conjunction with each other, which is why I must ask…" Her voice trailed off, as if she were reconsidering the propriety of asking her question, but her mother's boldness was not so easily cast aside, and with confidence, she turned to the white-haired captain. "Having tasted death yourself, Ukitake-taichou, can you honestly say you would stop at nothing to protect the members of your squad?" For the first time in the entire exam, and in all of Genryuusai's experience in administering it, the examiner had set forth a question. Adding to that unmatched occasion was the fact that it dealt not with objective truth but instead possessed a subjective nature. The startled chocolate eyes of the thirteenth division's captain shifted anxiously. "Gomenasai… I've brought up something painful for you. You needn't answer me aloud, so long as you yourself know the truth." Her violet eyes then flickered to his somewhat startled cohort and settled at last on the captain commander. "Is that sufficient, sir?"

"Hai," he responded, his tone disclosing nothing in regards to his judgment of her performance.

"Would it be all right if I took a short walk? I am afraid your inquiries have made me a bit restless." The eldest man simply nodded his head in reply, and, in receiving her thanks, followed the girl with his eyes as she disappeared behind the door. Her steps remained composed until she rounded the corner, at which point she threw herself against the wall and sunk to her knees, quivering with rage and anguish. _Baka… why do you say such foolish things? Did otousan teach you nothing about controlling your emotions?_

_If feeling makes you a fool, then all of humanity is asinine._

_That is no consolation, _Haru responded heatedly to her zanpakutoh, hissing with displeasure as the mark on her back erupted with intense pain.

_Haru-sama?_

_I'll live. Besides, it is not severe. _Resolutely, she got to her feet, using the wall as support as she staggered along, making immense efforts to keep from gasping or stumbling. _Should I apologize again for my impudence? Should I ask for forgiveness?_

_Honestly, Haru-sama… your father thought the world of feeling because it was something he could not do under public eye. You remember his smile and how empty it was until he was behind closed doors with your mother and you._

_Even so…_

_Do not be stubborn, _Suzaku demanded. _I am certain things will be fine, regardless of where they assign you. We will not be parted._

_It is not parting with you that worries me at the moment. _ Haru sighed heavily and wiped the sweat from her brow, pushing a rebellious tendril of hair behind her ear. She whirled around at the mere concept that she was being followed, piercing her second shadow with an acute irritation at the disruption.

"Sumimasen," he stammered, holding his hands up and smiling peaceably, but the look in her eyes never once waned. "You look a little pale, Haru-san… daijoubu desu ka?"

"I will be in a moment. It is nothing; do not worry about it."

"If you cannot continue…" Haru shot him a warning glare before turning away, leaning her shoulder against the wall and removing her glasses to clean the fog off of them. "You don't need to push yourself."

"If you're afraid of beating me, that is nothing to be concerned about. I have been told by Urahara-sensei that I am a graceful winner and a graceful loser. Regardless of my condition, I will fight, because that is what I came here to do, is it not?" And with that, she turned her eyes to the silver-haired captain again. "Ukitake-taichou, it would be unwise to deny me this right and to put things off longer than they already have been."

"Are you honestly that eager to be removed from Byakuya's home?"

"Of course not," she retorted, "but if it drags on any longer, I will not be able to leave. I may grow too used to his exquisite tea and the comforts of living in the home of a noble. It isn't good for me." She peered at the shinigami over her shoulder.

"Lunch will get cold if you don't come and eat."

"I'm not hungry." She expected him to back down and retain his peaceable nature, but instead, he whirled her around and began pushing her forward by the shoulders. "U—Ukitake-taichou!"

"If you're going to be stubborn about it, then I'll have to make you eat. It isn't good for a girl your age to go hungry, not when you're about to face me in battle."

"I'll eat if I damn well want to," Haru retorted.

"You're just like your mother… she wouldn't take food, either." At last, she started walking of her own free will, darting a few steps ahead of the captain before stopping to wait for him, pushing her glasses on now that she had a stationary moment and taking her sword between her hands in the same docile manner. "You don't seem worried… to face a captain in battle. Have you ever done so before other than the little incident a week ago?" She regarded him in silence, walking just behind him faithfully. "Has Byakuya ever…"

"Twice… and both times, I provoked him."

"You provoked him?" echoed the sickly captain. "Is that even possible?"

"It is quite easy to do… if you have the correct approach." Haru smiled thoughtfully, having completely recovered from her bout of pain and forgotten her shame. "For instance, my keeping this a secret has him slightly anxious. He actually drew his sword on me last night over something so simple as my three-day absence."

"Well, he can be impatient," Ukitake noted.

"I couldn't agree with you more." At that point, they returned to the room, and seeing a table laden with food had sprung out of the floorboards during her absence, Haru hastily took a seat. Once they uttered the opening thanks, they began their consumption in silence. She shifted her eyes to each of the men, trying to analyze their thoughts or reactions, but Genryuusai tended to function with his eyes closed, and Shunsui's gaze was hidden by that infernal hat. Ukitake, in keeping his vision fixed on his food, also managed to escape her analysis. She wondered if it was because she had offended them despite Suzaku's reassurances.

_If they were offended, would they let you eat with them? _

_They aren't saying anything, _she silently responded as she chewed a bite of rice.

"So, Haru-chan… is it true what Yama-jii tells me?" Haru's violet eyes flickered up to meet those of the eighth division's captain, whose smile was unsettlingly calm. "You've been staying with Byakuya?"

"Hai…" For some reason, the first thing she thought of when she heard his name was his implicit revenge on her the night before. She tried to fight the blush in her cheeks, but to no avail. "He treats me well, but he's just so troublesome at times, I hardly know what to do with him."

"So you haul his ass out to Soukyoku hill and knock some sense into him?" A grain of rice, at that moment, slid down her throat in such a way that irritated her throat. She emitted a hesitant, startled cough behind her hand, and, having ensured she could still breathe despite her intense wish that her breaths would cease at that moment, she ran her eyes over them again. Ukitake was waiting for her answer, as expected, and Genryuusai had paused with his chopsticks half raised. Resolutely, she hardened her gaze and continued eating, fixing her thoughts on more pleasant matters. "I thought it'd be relevant to bring up, beings there is a second half to your exam. Isn't that right, Yama-jii?" The old man opened one eye and gazed at Haru so intensely that she thought that gaze impaled her soul, but he didn't seem angry with her despite the fact she had dragged the sixth division captain away from his work.

"How did you know about that?"

"It was obvious," Ukitake replied. "The reiatsu we felt wasn't just Byakuya's. There was a similar occurrence a couple of weeks ago, if I'm not mistaken. Besides, you just told me on our way back that he used shikai on you twice."

"That is true. Your accusations are all correct, and I will add only this: even if it was my idea to fight him, he still could have refused me, though I cannot see why he did not… perhaps a desire to protect his pride?"

"Doubtful," Genryuusai said with a suddenness that caused Haru to flinch. "He does not fight anyone who is not worth fighting. If he found you unworthy, he would have ended things quickly instead of dragging them out to see the true outcome of the battle."

"Souka…" She sipped her tea thoughtfully as her thoughts wandered to Byakuya, to what he was currently occupied with. Even from there, she could feel his burning curiosity, and with a simple smile, she silently promised to relieve him of it once the day was over. But there was something else mingling with the imagined faint traces of her host drifting across seireitei. So weak was her impulse that Haru brushed it aside as imagination. She lowered her tea and gazed at the sword in the crook of her arm, her gaze growing darker as she watched the silver hoop's subtle swaying. _This can't be good… _she thought, pausing before she set her tea cup on the table. When Haru realized her hand was shaking, she shut her eyes, allowing her expression to become pensive. _He wouldn't dare… send another arrancar down here after what happened last week._

Feeling three piercing sets of eyes questioning her sudden change in mood, Haru opened her eyes and smiled reassuringly. "Is something the matter?"

"Perhaps we should ask you that," Shunsui said. "Seriousness doesn't suit such a pretty face, Haru-chan."

"So I have been told." At last, she set her tea down, but the seriousness in her eyes didn't wane in the least. They remained grim and thoughtful, which Ukitake interpreted as her recollection of the previous Saturday's events. Her reiatsu was churning in a manner very atypical of someone who outwardly appeared so composed. Haru's movements remained steady and graceful. She suddenly stopped moving altogether with her tea half raised to her mouth, and they were so intent in analyzing Haru's reasons for her sudden pause that only the captain commander took note of the swift footsteps in the hall. The others flinched when the door flew open so suddenly, but Haru remained unmoved.

"Yamamoto-soutaichou, please forgive the intrusion!"

"What is it?"

"Something has happened… there has been hollow activity in Seireitei." Haru didn't seem the least bit surprised by this, either.

"What do you mean, hollow activity?"

"I mean that we have been infiltrated. The instance is similar to several that have occurred recently, one roughly a month ago on a Friday, the other just last Saturday, in which the invading hollow escaped detection at the twelfth division. Like the others, we are relatively certain that it is a mid-level arrancar."

"Then how can it escape detection?" Ukitake demanded.

"I… I am not sure, sir," the befuddled shinigami admitted. "Sources have reported that it arrived in the eastern district of Seireitei not more than a few hours ago. There is no indication that any shinigami has as of yet been attacked, nor is there data concerning several missing squad members that were in the area earlier in the day." Haru opened her mouth to speak, but realizing she was not qualified to do so, quickly closed it again and looked down at her tea with even grimmer eyes. "What action should we take, sir?"

"Kill it," Genryuusai said mercilessly.

"How can we kill something we can't track? We don't even know where it is right now!" As if ashamed of his outburst, he quickly bowed his head and sputtered an apology. "My objection is inappropriate… my apologies."

"Iie… he raises an important point," Shunsui put in. He cast a brief glance to Haru, who sat with her head bent in thought and her hands folded obediently. "Na, Haru-chan… what're you thinking about so intently over there?"

"Nothing important, Kyoraku-taichou," she responded. "I was simply wondering what action I would take were I in your situation, but since I am not even remotely close to being a captain, nor would I become one so soon by some turn of fate's hand, I feel my best course of action is to remain silent."

"If you know something…" Ukitake put in.

"Nothing." And with resolution, Haru fled to her thoughts, hoping that they would provide her with some form of comfort, but they only proved to goad her to speak again. It was with great effort that Haru upheld her resolution to remain silent, hiding her gaze by either closing her eyes or keeping them locked on the floor. For a time, she simply faded from their attention to nothing more than a shadow on the wall while the two captains discussed what action was to be taken. Genryuusai politely interrupted them.

"Shunsui, Jyuushiro, I am putting you two personally in charge of hunting it down. You," he said, gesturing to the intruder, "Notify the other squads to keep an eye out. Report any further incidents directly to me."

"But sir, the exam…" Ukitake's hesitation caused Haru to recall her own presence and her reason for being there. Nonetheless, she did not object Genryuusai's orders, nor did she cry out when the two men left the room with the promise to return as soon as things were taken care of. She simply remained in her current position, frowning as the white-haired captain gazed thoughtfully back at her before shutting the door behind him.

"With luck, they will be back in several hours. Until then, I would like to ask you some further questions. Relax," said the old man, scratching a scar on his forehead with a bony, withered hand. "They have nothing to do with the examination, nor are they too personal to cause you offense, I hope?" She nodded her ascent, shifting uncomfortably at his tone, convincing herself that he saw her as an equal of some sort despite her position. She clutched the cross on her arm, hoping at least it would avail some of her anxiety, but it, too, delivered no consolation to the tense yet obedient girl. "It is my understanding that you have lived with Byakuya-dono for a little over a month now."

"Hai."

"And he has continued treating you well, I see."

"Of course," Haru replied.

"May I ask what it is you two occupy yourselves with in your spare time?" He watched as the girl stirred for the first time since she had set her tea down, and extended her left arm to retrieve her beverage, pondering as the cross swung back and forth. Surely, the captain commander took notice but reserved his words.

"In much the same way we have occupied ourselves during our break. We eat meals, drink tea, and talk. That is generally the extent of it. Sometimes, we spar… usually, we do not even release our swords."

"Nande?"

"I'm not sure," she said, sipping her lukewarm tea contently. "I suppose he finds some enjoyment in it, as do I. He is a challenge to keep up with and an even greater challenge to defeat… and then there is the troublesome matter of his occasional conviction that by challenging him, I am stepping on his pride, which I can assure you is not the case." She peered at the elderly captain to judge his reaction, but as before, his hidden eyes never surrendered one piece of information. "If I am talking too much, then by all means, stop me."

"I expected you to speak. That is why I asked you a question."

"Hai, Soutaichou-sama…"

"Now, I must ask why you said nothing about that arrancar." Her body involuntarily stiffened at his tone, so blatant was the underlying suspicion. "Clearly, you know something."

"From my lack of input, it should be clear…"

"You carry the blood of a quincy in your veins." For some reason, it seemed like he had known longer than Haru intended him to. Nonetheless, she remained still beneath the accusation and swallowed any anxiety and sorrow that rose up to take its place. "I am far from understanding people of _your _bloodline, or of what your mother saw in him that brought you about. Nonetheless, what is clear to me is that you can obey orders. That is sufficient enough for any shinigami, but you…" His eyes flickered open, intense and analytic. "You are one of the elite. Surely, you can do more than that, Haru-dono." That he was aware of her bloodline was enough of a surprise, but to discover that the elderly shinigami acknowledged her nobility… such acceptance had her taken aback altogether. "Are you this formal with Byakuya-dono? How much have you told him?"

"Of course I am formal with him, and he thoroughly knows my background, but you are mistaken in thinking me a noble despite who my father is. For the moment, I am the nineteenth heir of the Yamashita clan. However, that will change when I am eighteen years of age. My nobility has been signed away; the task will fall to one of my cousins, and for the first time in centuries, the bloodline of the first head will be broken."

"Foolish," he spat. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"Because Soul Society is more important to me," Haru responded, trying to remain calm despite his sudden change in mood.

"We will not have you." The rejection delivered a lash of agony to her soul, drawing the slightest flinch from her. Nonetheless, she remained as she had been: quiet and contemplative. Her umbrage remained hidden behind the dead cold of her eyes. "You will finish the exam. You will finish so I can analyze how great a threat you are to our order. Then, bearing in mind I find no reason to imprison you, you will leave this place. You do not belong here." Those words took a moment to sink in, and they had the precise reaction he was looking for. Disbelief sprang to her eyes, a glimmer of an ember taking root. That ember grew first to resentment, then to fury, and finally to disobedience. Haru's hands remained steady as they rose to remove the glasses on her face, which she set down composedly before casting the full brunt of her glare at the captain.

"Soutaichou-sama, I am afraid I cannot comply." Despite the steadiness in her actions, the faint quiver in her tone betrayed her. "You see, I cannot finish the exam, as I must help your captains hunt down that arrancar before it kills anyone else. I cannot be the threat you perceive me because I must protect this place. I cannot let you lock me up no more than I can accept my exile, because I cherish my freedom and my host too much to let you do that. And…" Haru wavered on stopping that instant, on accepting his decision without further resistance, but her pride would not allow it. "If I do not belong here, then what makes Byakuya-sama fit to remain, or Ukitake-taichou, or even you? Are we all not in some sense shinigami? Do we not all possess a zanpakutoh? Are our aims really so different?"

The ceiling faded away from her eyes momentarily, giving way to the phantom of a clear blue sky. She stretched out her hands and encircled the sun in them before that same sky vanished and gave way to the ceiling once more. "To protect the things that are precious to us, we must make some sacrifices. My parents saw some worth in me, and so they sacrificed themselves. Aizen has been making sacrifices, too, in the form of underlings he can afford to lose, for though I myself am not precious to him in any way, my power in battle is an ally he seeks to recruit or obliterate before I can fully oppose him. But I cannot accept that, either. There is no sun in Hueco Mundo, and therefore nothing for me to aim for. I have nothing to protect there except myself. So…" Haru threw her head back and drained her cup with unbelievable fortitude. "Now that my motives are clear to you, I'm going, regardless of what punishment you may deal me for this bout of disobedience."

Before he could open his mouth to respond, Haru was on her feet and racing towards the door, her sword hanging from her left hand, her cross waving in his peripheral gaze, and the silver ribbon in her hair streaming behind her. She closed it behind her as if she had been dismissed properly, but the haste in her footfall betrayed her appearance of placidity and orthodoxy. He listened thoughtfully as her steps died away, daring to unveil to the silent emptiness that surrounded him a satisfied and completely fulfilled smile, a product of the correctness in his surmise that Haru was everything he could ever hope her to be.

* * *

Another chapter bites the dust… I hope everyone enjoyed it. It was fluffy, dramatic, conflicted, long, and all that fun stuff… and since I don't feel like rambling about all the garbage I normally do after my chapter, namely about how this is substandard writing and such, I will proceed with the complementary Japanese lesson OF DOOM (Flamy-chan recommended I slap the "of doom" in, since it's something I don't believe I have done yet… thanks Flamy-chan… ;D):

Iie : No (holy crap… I wrote 4 pages without needing to translate anything… XX)

Souka : I see

Nande : Why

Hai : Yes

Gomenasai : Formal apology

Demo : But

Baka : Stupid

Nani : What

Ano : Japanese equivalent of "um."

Sumimasen : Excuse me

Hajimimashite : Pleaded to meat you

Daijoubu desu ka : Are you all right

Man, that Japanese lesson was ungodly long… X.X' Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it despite its length, and I hope to see you all next chapter! (I'm so keeping it short today… do I get a cookie?) Thanks again to all my readers, reviewers, watchers, favoriters, and I look forward to hearing from my reviewers soon!


	23. Chapter 23: Free Will

A/N: Greetings all readers, reviewers, stalkers, favoriters, and anyone else who's reading this. Despite severe weather in the area (more on the way… woo hoo) and a two and a half heepings of drama that I won't even begin to rant about, as the rant would probably be double the size of this chapter, I am still breathing, as is my lovely computer. My wallet is crying because of gas, but other than that, I am no worse for wear. Are you guys shocked I have nothing more to say? Well, on to the chapter… you've all been waiting so patiently and have been so supportive. I give you thanks and free pie! Please enjoy, and be sure to look for something moderately funny (at least Flamy and I thought so) following your Japanese lesson!

* * *

_Chapter 23: Free Will_

_Reliving the past… _Haru raced forward as thoughts of dark and grim events merely a week behind her resurfaced. She silently condemned herself for being so timid about speaking up, and then growing so bold as to disobey her superior… no, not just any superior, but the captain commander, the man responsible for her seating, the man who rejected what she was with merciless words that still stung despite having been removed from conscious thought. _I cannot let it happen again. If that arrancar catches Ukitake-taichou and Kyoraku-taichou off guard, there is no telling what the result will be, considering Ukitake-taichou's condition… how would I explain that to Byakuya-sama? _Exasperated, Haru allowed herself a brief rest, drawing breaths that were deliberately deep and slow. _At least if something did happen, Byakuya-sama would have to acknowledge my part in all of this._

Smothered in trepidation and self-blame, Haru swayed when the slightest gust of wind disrupted her thoughts and remained immersed in them, even when her feet became unsteady. _Haru-sama! _The cry from her zanpakutoh shattered her concentration and returned her mind to more important matters. She regained her footing with ease and continued forward. _Could you at the very least consider where it is before racing off to dispose of it?_

_No time, _Haru responded. _I made the mistake of waiting too long last time. I know I have erred in waiting as long as I have, as I have known of this thing's presence since you notified me. Too many have already been sacrificed or consumed for the purpose of this search… I cannot allow any more lives to be lost._

_How do you know the missing shinigami are dead?_

_Do not be a fool, Suzaku, _she stated, landing in a crouch and pausing once more to survey her surroundings. _Your tone betrays you… they are dead. _Nothing more was said between them for a long moment. Haru paused occasionally, shifting her reiatsu in a vain attempt to pinpoint the intruder's location, but to no avail. _Perhaps it would be best to find Ukitake-taichou and Kyoraku-taichou first… as they are likely the primary targets. _Haru stopped abruptly, taking no notice of the loose strands of her hair as they swayed gently in the wind. Then, with certainty, she shifted her reiatsu and sent out a single pulsation, one that would undoubtedly be noticeable by any shinigami capable of detecting that sort of thing. She vaguely took note of some passersby below gazing up at her lithe figure with mild curiosity. Others simply glanced about as the wave of reiatsu passed, but her mind was fixed only on the nothingness behind her closed eyes. _There they are… southeast of here. Wait… what is that? _

In her analysis of the reiatsu surrounding them, Haru found something far darker than she expected, something that seemed to be following them. As she tried to further analyze that unknown figure, her focus was obliterated by a particularly intense pain racing through her back. Again, her steps swayed and her zanpakutoh cried out to call her back to attention, but even if she had returned, it would have done no good. By the time Haru realized what was happening, her feet had already lost their holds. Too agonized to recover, she let her balance be overturned by gravity and enjoyed the sensation of flying for a moment. The shadow of destiny loomed close enough to prevent her from stumbling more than a few steps to her left, however, as something seized the back of her haori and pulled her away from a flight that would surely end in failure.

"Hey…" The familiar voice was enough to scatter the remainder of her pain. Realizing an arm was around her shoulders, she glanced bewilderedly to her guest, gazing for a moment in disbelief at his strangely amiable eyes. "Look, I know you like heights, considering your destiny and all, but you can only let your mind drift when you're just sitting up here doing nothing. Got that, Haru-sama?" She tried vainly to find her words as his free hand probed her left wrist, running his index finger along her father's memento in a manner that for some reason reminded her of her stoic host. Anxiously, she pulled away, moving to leap back only to be restrained by the arm around her shoulders, her breathing anything but steady. "Didn't I just get done explaining your precarious situation? If you don't quit moving around, you're going to fall…"

"Fujiwara," she managed, seizing his arm with surprising strength that inadvertently had him taken aback. "Get me down." The fact that Haru had discarded all formalities and manners indicated to him that something was wrong, so he complied without argument. After ensuring she would maintain her grasp until coming to the ground, he used shunpo to return them both to a safe height, but the moment she escaped his grasp, she sagged against the wall, breathing heavily. "Haru-sama?"

"It's nothing."

"Well, if it was nothing, you would have thrown me off the roof."

"Iie…" Having no capabilities of resisting the fatiguing affects of her pain, she simply fell to her knees, pressing her forehead against the cool stone for a moment before turning to shield her back, as if Takumi could see through to the mark beneath her uniform. "That is too severe and dangerous… and not something I would do to someone I consider a friend. It is a shame… I will not get to know you better, Fujiwara-san." A look of terror flickered across his gaze, and in one instant, he slammed both his hands against the wall so that, even if she was physically capable of escaping, he had her trapped.

"I told you before, didn't I? You need a place to stay, you come to me and Mari… we'll put you up no questions asked…"

"It isn't that," Haru responded, curling up defensively and hiding in her knees. "The problem is much bigger this time, and with the threat of eviction immanent…"

"Haru-sama, you're hearing me but you're not actually listening."

"I could say the same for you." Her determined eyes pierced him with a seldom-seen ferocity, forcing his immediate withdraw. "If your house is anywhere in the bounds of Soul Society, then I am not far enough away, Fujiwara-san…" She paused for a moment to steady her breaths and straighten the two loose tendrils of hair framing her face. "Because I have received notice that I am not welcome here. Nonetheless, I cannot leave, even if it is Soutaichou-sama doing the evicting." All the resistance melted from Takumi's face, for though he could easily rebel against the nobleman who boasted the second seat of power in all of Soul Society, he knew that rebelling against the captain commander was foolish and futile. "I cannot leave because… of all the precious things I have found here." Seeing her in this new, rebellious light was a little discontenting to the student, who drew back and rose to his feet, glancing to the passersby who took absolutely no notice of them. Her analysis seemed to continue in silence, and he made no objections to letting her think it out. _I cannot leave him… I cannot leave him alone. Certainly, I am not a necessity to him, but since I have come here, I have depended on him for only the most basic provisions. Instead, he has treated me as an honored guest, kept me in the main house at his side, shown me a side of himself that he would never show others… no, I will not allow this to pass…_

"What are you going to do?" Takumi inquired as she stood.

"May I ask you something, Fujiwara-san?" He gave a nod of consent and waited patiently for Haru to formulate her inquiry. "If perchance you were in my shoes, an outcast due to a line separating two halves of a whole, a line you do not even believe exists, and you were ordered by someone in power to abandon everything you had here, though while not materially extravagant, you considered it more than you have ever possessed in your entire lifetime… if you were ordered to abandon your sister based solely on your unorthodox heritage, would you comply?" He considered who exactly had given Haru the order and then considered his older sister, his superior, his inspiration and his private tutor.

"No way in hell," he said at last.

"Then with that, I take my leave of you." Haru got to her feet and staggered once more, but she managed to proceed by leaning against the wall and taking slow, deliberate steps forward.

"You shouldn't be moving yet. You aren't fully recovered…"

"I will be fine," Haru reassured him. "I know the limits of this body, or most of them, anyway. It will not fail me." She turned her attention to the two captains momentarily. Relieved to see their reiatsu was still unwavering and quite present, yet disheartened at the sensation of that dark and likely undetected watcher, Haru forced herself to stand on her own two feet, straightening her shoulders like a soldier and folding her hands docilely around the sword so it hung in front of her. "Fujiwara-san, may I ask you a favor?"

"Another one?" he said nonchalantly.

"Hai… that is, unless you are doing something important." When he gave no response, Haru turned away from him and began walking forward with unsettling calmness. "I need you to go to the fourth division. Tell them I sent you, and request that a team be dispatched to the southeastern region of Seireitei."

"I don't understand…"

"You don't need to understand, Fujiwara-san… you simply need to comply. Can I count on you to see it done?" He had no choice but to succumb to her inexplicable request despite his confusion. "Arigato, Fujiwara-san…"

"I'm telling you, call me Takumi."

"And I'm telling you, don't call me Haru-sama. Just Haru will suffice," she argued. He leered at her rebelliously and with resolution until she disappeared. Only then did he allow the concern to creep over him. _What could she possibly want the fourth division for? _After a silent moment of deliberation, Takumi decided that the reasoning behind her request didn't matter; all that was relevant was the sufficiency and haste with which he fulfilled it.

* * *

_Haru-sama, are you certain you should be expending so much effort on account of people who will undoubtedly not want you here? _Despite the endless protests of her zanpakutoh, Haru continued forward with minimal thought. It was best to let feeling reign the actions that would follow: intuition, instinct, and a sort of preternatural determination that stemmed from all of mankind: the desire to survive. _This is foolish, Haru-sama… you know the consequences of fighting your fate, of ignoring the pain in your back. If the mark fades, then…_

_I know, _Haru replied, gritting her teeth as another throb worked its way through her shoulders. _I have not even told Byakuya-sama the real reason I have that mark. True, it is partly a product of my father's bloodline, but words and signs seldom have a single meaning. _She veered south, guided by the silver rectangular hoop of metal that topped Suzaku's hilt. It swayed gently as she ran, holding her wooden sword in her left hand in order to do so more efficiently. Having nearly fallen once already, Haru was careful to pay attention to her chosen course and remain as close to the ground as it would allow her. Sometimes, it was close enough to see the individual shinigami, one of whom would periodically peer up at her in honest disbelief or baffled curiosity. Nonetheless, it did nothing to change her decision, the one she had made of her own free will. _I refuse…_ she thought as she ran. _I refuse to leave this place. I cannot lose what I have found here no more than I can forget that feeling… _ And the warmth of a recent memory permeated her single aim, scattering her focus. She was in that office again, with her host and his vice captain, sipping tea and eating ramen while she vainly tried to come up with some explanation for removing herself from that place. _Such feelings should be preserved and stored for times when they most need to be felt. That moment… I wanted it to last forever. I never want to be denied things like that, not because of what I am._

_Haru-sama… _ Unaware that Suzaku had been listening to her thoughts, Haru stopped and glared at her sword as if violated beyond all reason. _If you wish not to lose that feeling, then do not succumb to that shinigami's will._

_I have no choice. He is the captain commander of Soul Society. How can I refuse the will of one who sits in such a high seat of power?_

_What about Byakuya? What would he say to all of this? _

_It is my fight, and my dilemma. Therefore, I will handle it without his aid or involvement._

_If fate deems his voice relevant to the matter, then you have no choice but to involve him, _Suzaku argued. _He accepts you for who you are, Haru-sama… he cares nothing about that mark on your back. He only cares for you. Are you really willing to give that up? _She leapt down from a rooftop decisively, stopping as she felt that familiar darkness creep over her. With certainty, she glanced over her shoulder and above her head, finding that she was completely alone despite her trepidation. _Haru-sama…_

_I know, _she replied grimly. _This place was touched by death recently. _Surrounding the area were the faint traces of reiatsu, which was gradually growing weaker as time passed. Clearly, those whose spiritual pressure lingered were beyond her help and likely already dead. _Ukitake-taichou and Kyoraku-taichou should be here in five minutes… that does not give me long…_ That familiar feeling crept over her, the one that warned her that she was being watched. Without thinking, she whirled around to gaze at her enemy only to find the empty air. As she turned back, she realized the mistake in doing so. A sidestep saved her from a lethal blow, but she was still flung sideways through a cloud of dust, colliding forcefully with a wall. She had no time to process the pain or disbelief; she simply fell to the ground, her head spinning, her lungs laboring to supply her body with air, her ribs and back throbbing, and her left shoulder, which had absorbed the blow, screaming silently in agony.

Suzaku landed nearby, giving a rebellious waver before she fell completely. _Haru-sama… _it called. _Haru-sama! _The girl lay still and refused to give a response, a tactic cultivated by years of killing presumptuous hollow. She made no move when the creature lingered over her, a grotesque thing with a body encased in a bony armor and oversized forearms on which it supported itself. Striding forward menacingly, it gave the stationary shinigami an examining sniff with its long snout before drawing back with a distasteful snort. It was fortunate for Haru that it showed no interest in eating her. Only when its hand began to move towards her did she realize its intention, but she maintained her stationary position in spite of the danger involved, not that she had much of a choice. For some reason, Haru found it impossible to do anything but lay there, not due to the pain in her shoulder or her back, but simply because her ability to change positions had been partly arrested. She shifted her eyes to her right hand, closing her fist as the weight of anguish moved to crush her.

From a short distance away, she heard someone call out, a familiar voice that awakened her will once the gaze of the beast left her. Rising to all fours, she gathered all her resolution and slowly formed words appropriate for the situation. "Stay away," she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Stay away… stay away…" Finding she could speak no louder due to her lack of air, Haru sat up and clutched her shoulder, gazing helplessly at the two approaching captains. _Why? Why can't I move? Why can't I speak? Is it because of the mark? No… it is still there… then what sort of devilish art could arrest my most basic tools of rebelling? _Then, it occurred to her what had done so. Her voice returned to her in a crucial moment, at which point she breathed air into her lungs and shouted, "Don't look into its eyes!"

But it was too late. By the time the words reached them, Ukitake, having crossed gazes with the enemy, had fallen to his knees, coughing violently as he tried to maintain his sense of self. Shunsui was hardly better off, though he was only gasping. She had just enough time to realize that Ukitake, in overexerting himself, had summoned a symptom of his condition. Streams of blood and saliva ran through his fingers, dripping on the ground and causing the arrancar to lick its chops. Before it moved to take care of the captain's however, it flung Haru against the wall again, this time pinning her against it with four dagger-like claws that pierced the stone her back was against. Startled, she lost all capability to think, and one glance into its eyes was all it took to draw her into a state like a waking unconsciousness. Her silvery eyes glazed over with a dull and lusterless incomprehension. Once it released her, she fell to the ground, landing in a heap with no indicator of pain other than a slight cough.

"Haru-cha…" Having managed most of her name, the leisurely captain felt the weight of that gaze pressing down on him. She, too, was bleeding, but only a trickle from her temple. Even he knew it was no good fighting it for the moment. The arrancar stalked forward, swaying with sinister intent as it gazed hungrily upon the two captains.

"You shouldn't have interfered. The girl is the only reason I'm here." It growled contently as it stepped forward, scraping its claws against the ground with every step. Haru's eyes followed it despite her distance from reality and her complete lack of comprehension. "I'm just so full… eating so many souls in one sitting will do that, but there's always room for two more, now that you have seen me."

_Leave them alone… _Haru commanded silently. _They have nothing to do with me…_

"You people should honestly open your eyes to her worth. She's more than just a shinigami, you know, but you'll learn that soon enough." To her surprise, the sickly Ukitake rose his head, speaking through a mouth full of blood.

"And what pray tell does Aizen intend to do with her?"

"You'll see… or perhaps you won't since you're about to die."

_Iie… _

"He'll put her to good use to be sure."

_Iie…_

"Her power comes from her father's side… from the Yamashita clan." Haru only heard the name, the one she was still struggling to accept, for despite her promise to embrace her heritage, Genryuusai's words had summoned the old and dormant doubt.

"What do they have to do with this?" Ukitake demanded. "She's nothing like them…"

"Yet I can say with certainty that her father was Yamashita Tatsuhiro." Again, the name caused her eyes to shift, but Ukitake, having overexerted himself again, coughed quietly into his hand as his companion attempted to place a hand on his shoulder, but to no avail. "You can see it yourselves… if you know where to look. Or do you think that cross is just for decoration? Nothing of the sort… the quincy don't want her because she's half shinigami, and the shimigami don't want her because she's half quincy. It's a reminder that she is impure, that she can never truly belong anywhere." Those words stirred something in her soul and brought to mind the reminder of her true reasons for wearing her father's broken cross. One glance was all it took to give her strength. Gritting her teeth, she rolled onto her stomach, unnoticed by the arrancar, who was preoccupied with the two captains for the moment. "Such a pitiful and forlorn being… yet fortunate at the same time, for Aizen-sama will accept her, impurities and all…"

"You're wrong." It turned to look her in the eyes again, which paralyzed her but failed to take away her words. "I do not wear this cross for nobility, or for its namesake, or as a reminder, whether of my dead father who in giving his life saved my own nor my fate, nor even the broken wings that will some day carry me to that fate. What purpose does it have then? Is that what you are wondering?" Haru drew a breath, measuring the distance to her sword with her eyes, wondering if she could move fast enough to seize it before the first strike fell. Determined and grim, she continued speaking. "It is a sign of pride for my heritage, pride for my power, and pride for my name, even if others reject me based solely on my father's part in all of those."

"Such impudence," it growled, but Haru again succumbed to its will-scattering eyes and fell in a heap at its feet. "Be good and stay quiet while I take care of these meddlesome shinigami… I promise to do it quickly." Her mouth moved again, in rebellion, and it rammed a frustrated claw in front of her. "If you're not careful, I may not miss next time." As it turned away, a white glimmer momentarily caused it to pause, yet knowing it was nothing significant, it concentrated on the formation of one particularly powerful blast of cero which was intended to obliterate the two captains. They could only watch as their final blow grew large enough to fulfill its purpose, but at the same time, they both gave Haru her due attention, gazing in awe at the white shimmer that had erupted around her. When a shift in the air drew its gaze again, the creature realized that Haru had somehow risen to her feet, and that the white light around her was drifting into fine filaments that attached themselves to her uniform and the flesh beneath it. Indifferently, she discarded her haori, unveiling the white, sleeveless layer beneath it. The ends of the silver ribbon in her hair fluttered as her determination coursed through the air. "You fool! You think you can save them?"

With those words, the cero was launched. Ukitake bowed his head beneath the weight of his coughs, while Shunsui tried to find the strength to move. A shadow passed between them, sword unsheathed and changing. Just before the attack found its targets, he heard a few words cut the air, and then they were enveloped by a sea of mist-like flames. The spell on them was broken, the cero neutralized, and left in its wake were mere traces of the attack, along with its initiator. "Pretty cool, Haru-chan," Shunsui admitted. "What's it called?"

"Kyoraku-taichou, I respect you as a captain and my superior, but I must ask that you withhold questions for the moment."

"Until you take that thing down?"

"Precisely," she responded as if killing arrancar was something she did on a daily basis. Even Shunsui looked a little doubtful at her outrageous declaration. "Please stay here with Ukitake-taichou until I am finished. Will you do that?"

"Only since you asked so nicely." Relieved, Haru raised her sword and rested the blade against her shoulder, gazing at her enemy as her eyes flickered analytically. She seemed so at ease that her placidity was contagious. Soon, it infected Ukitake, whose coughs finally stilled, which allowed him a full view of the sword she held. Subtle differences in her reiatsu and its appearance alerted him that, at some point, Haru had released her zanpakutoh. The glimmering red eyes of her opponent seemed to pierce her very being but drew nothing more than a confident scoff from her.

"How are you still moving? Why are you not laying still?"

"Because I know your trick. Earlier today, you ran across a group of eight or nine shinigami from the fifth squad and devoured them, but first, you disabled their ability to will their actions with those eyes of yours. My bloodline allows me to escape the constraints of that technique with one of my own, one that allows me to override your ability to paralyze my body and scatter the fragments of free thought to keep me still, but I will not tell you the name of that technique." Haru placed her palm against the gold bands on the blade. "By the time I explained its mechanics, you would be dead already."

"That's rather audacious of you, but this armor cannot be cut."

"By normal zanpakutoh, no, but by Suzaku…" Using flash step, she bolted forward, vanishing from sight before reappearing with a blade engulfed in golden fire, which she swept across the arrancar's chest before withdrawing. It took a moment of horrified and impressed silence for the truth of the matter to sink in and for the blood from the wound to escape in a ready stream onto the currents of air. "With this sword, I can cut you."

"Why, you…"

"You are an arrancar that relies on your ability to disable your victims before they can fight you, so that armor is merely for show. As for speed, I am betting on you having virtually none, since paralyzed opponents do not move very fast. In relying on a single technique, you have overestimated your own power. Power… if variety was the only measure we had for power, I may very well be the strongest shinigami alive." The dagger-like claws flew in her direction, serving no other purpose than to meet with her blade. "Are you even aware of what my father's blood enables me to do and what the attacks of my zanpakutoh entail?"

"I don't care to know!" The other clawed hand flew at her, and with one hand she released her sword, still maintaining her steady stance while she aimed her blow. "Hadou no sanjyuusan: soukatsui." The blast of kidou slammed against the wall, scattering fine particles and dust in all directions. When it cleared, the arrancar came to the realization that its hand was no longer present. With a cry of agony, it shrunk back, yowling more at the loss than the pain. "Monster! Demon! Abomination! Half-breed piece of trash! I'll kill you!"

"With what? Your insults?" Haru pushed one strand of hair out of her face as she changed her stance. "I have heard them all before. Those words mean nothing to me." And it was true; her tone lacked virtually all traces of emotion to the point that Shunsui, who was holding his friend's shoulders and watching Haru's quarrel with the arrancar at the same time, felt the familiar stirrings of discomfort in him, not because of her bloodline but because of her sudden lack of sentiments. It lunged at her, furiously gnashing the teeth in its mask, its remaining hand open and waiting to crush her, but it never arrived at it target. She vanished using flash and reappeared a moment later in the same position, this time holding her sword in her left hand while pressing her right against the blade with her index finger pointing upward. A new kind of pain stopped it from moving forward, a full-body agony that drew rivulets of blood into the air from its lacerated armor and flesh. "One hundred cuts in less than a second… and in the shadow of those hundred cuts lingers the kindling for a shadowy flame."

"No, please… I'm begging you!"

"Consider this retribution for devouring my fellow shinigami, for talking too much, for stepping on my pride, and most importantly, for threatening the things I hold dearer than my own life."

"You cannot feel vengeful! It's impossible! Someone like you…" But a cold scoff interrupted it.

"I never said I was perfect. Dai ni keitai… kagehi." Her words shot through the air between them, and in less than an instant, a deep blue flame engulfed her opponent, burning with unbelievable brilliance and intensity. One last agonized cry sounded before the individual flames meshed into one and began swirling in a sphere around its target. Their intensity seemed to multiply infinitely and devour the creature's shadow before scattering into countless ribbons, falling to the ground below as ashes that were swept away on a swift gust of wind. She watched them for a moment until they disappeared from sight. Then, she returned her gaze to the two captains, surveying Ukitake's condition with an apologetic eye. "What a relief… neither of you are seriously hurt."

"Haru-chan…"

"I requested the fourth division send someone before I came this way. Hopefully, they will be here shortly." Casting a doubtful eye at the weary Ukitake, she tried to read the sentiments in his chocolate eyes. "Do not concern yourself with my well-being… I will live. These injuries are minor and thus not worth worrying about."

"But your shoulder…"

"I am more concerned about your well-being, Ukitake-taichou." Even Shunsui was no fool; he could hear the pain and the fear in Haru's voice despite the brave face she had put on. "You are not well. You have overexerted yourself. I have been hurt far worse than this… in fact, if I dare say it, I was fortunate to walk away with as few injuries as I did."

"Something tells me fortune had nothing to do with it." Under Shunsui's suspicious accusation, Haru could only turn away to hide the truth of the matter. She hissed and raised a hand to her shoulder, otherwise concealing her pain behind an unreadable expression.

"Please stay with Ukitake-taichou until help arrives. I need to make a phone call." After she shook her zanpakutoh to return it to its unreleased state, Haru retrieved her haori and paced slowly away.

"Matte."

"I told you before, your concern is wasted…"

"Stay." The insistence was inexplicable by all means, but despite her disobedience regarding other events, she could not find it in her to leave. After sighing reluctantly, she sheathed her sword and knelt beside him, resting it against her left shoulder despite the incessant pain racing through it. For some reason, she felt no answer he gave could satisfy her, so she refrained from asking. Shunsui moved the sickly captain to a laying position, remaining at his other side without being told to. "You are… truly amazing." With a threatening glance that implored him to refrain from pressing the subject of her power, he drew a hissing breath between his teeth and continued. "Even after seeing you kill so ruthlessly, I still feel your presence comforts me somehow." It was a struggle to turn his head and peer straight into her eyes, which still flickered with the remnants of her now dormant power and her perfectly concealed pain. He ran an uncertain sleeve across his mouth, cleaning the blood away as his hand trembled with the effort. "Just do me one thing… don't blame yourself."

"But it's my…" Shunsui glanced at her pleadingly to refrain from arguing. If only for that reason, she swallowed the remainder of her words and bowed her head. "Hai, Ukitake-taichou." He seemed satisfied to her relief and did not talk for a long moment. Shunsui stood as the fourth division members arrived, at which point Haru stepped aside, unsheathed her sword and with a decisive hand, put a small laceration in the side of her wounded shoulder.

"Haru-chan…"

"It needs to bleed," she interrupted, glancing at the rather concerned captain with steady eyes. "Draining the blood that has internally built up will alleviate some of the pain." Instead of debating with her on the motives behind her actions, he simply put a hand on his straw hat and tilted it.

"You really are something." She shrugged indifferently, slinging her haori over her shoulder and walking slowly away. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere far," Haru reassured him. "I will stay close by. It is best if you remain with Ukitake-taichou."

"In other words, you want your privacy."

"If you please, Kyoraku-taichou." He nodded in understanding and withdrew, allowing Haru to creep slowly in the opposite direction while her arm dripped blood. She only received one further interruption.

"Tokazawa-san." She turned to the fourth division member. "Ukitake-taichou has requested that we treat your injuries before tending to him."

"I will hear nothing of it."

"But Tokazawa-san…"

"Tell him that if he doesn't quit his stubbornness, I'll crack his damn skull open. I don't care how sick he is." With nothing more than those words, Haru proceeded to move a short distance away, peering over her shoulder once to ensure Ukitake was receiving treatment. Then, she drew her gift out of her haori and flipped the screen open, gazing at it with misty eyes before scrolling through her limited contacts and selecting the man whose voice she felt that she needed to hear. Three rings later, the phone was lifted amidst a flurry of arguing and demands to retrieve Urahara. A moment later, Jinta appeared on the line.

"Moshi moshi, Haru-sama…"

"What ever happened to 'useless?'"

"I knew it was you this time!" he cried. "And what are you calling for, anyway? Urahara-san's been worried sick about you. He's been trying to call you for days, but your voice mail is full. What the hell is up with that, anyway?"

"I give you my most sincere apologies, Jinta-san, but I have been terribly busy."

"Excuses, excuses…"

"No, really, I have…" A shout of rebellion on the other line silenced him, followed by Urahara's calm request that he be left alone in the presence of his telephone. Once the door closed, he spoke in a low and serious tone into the receiver.

"Haru-sama, I hear things are bad and growing worse. I am surprised to have heard from you a mere week after coming so close to being slain." He tactfully avoided the subject of Shimori, though something in his tone revealed that he was thinking of that particular facet of last Saturday's experience. "Tell me things are all right. Has Byakuya started letting you stay rent free, or are you still sleeping with him to compensate?"

"Damn it, you perverted asshole! I don't want to hear it," she retorted.

"So, can I take that as a no?"

"Kisuke…"

"All right, all right… I'll stop teasing you. But in all seriousness, are you doing well?"

"I'm still breathing, so I must be doing something right."

"Good to know," he said in a slightly more cheerful tone. "But something must be wrong. Otherwise, you would not have called me."

"I am facing a bit of a dilemma," Haru confessed.

"How large is this 'bit of a dilemma?'"

"Exile."

"Yare, yare… getting into a bit of trouble, I see?"

"No trouble outside that which this infernal name causes me."

"Oh, so you've revealed yourself? An interesting tactic…"

"And by interesting, you mean stupid," she retorted. "Look, I know you said to keep a low profile, but…"

"How did I know there was going to be a but?"

"But I only did what I did because I couldn't stand hiding anymore. I know you can never really understand exactly what compelled me to do it because when you hid, you did so with those you held so dear. Hiding it from him was like… it was like a self-induced torture. It had to end, Urahara-sensei, because I feel as though I should not have to hide anything from him." Silence filled the void between them, reminding her of the distance between them.

"Is that why Byakuya wishes to…"

"Byakuya-sama isn't the problem. He accepts me for who and what I am. The problem is Yamamoto-soutaichou-sama."

"And how, pray tell, did he find out?"

"I see no pride in hiding it," Haru responded, hissing in pain and pushing against the wall. "Listen, Urahara-sensei… I have no desire to be a burden to you, but I have no choice other than to make this request of you. If in the event that this unnecessary eviction goes through, I will be in need of a place to stay. Worst case scenario, I will be imprisoned, in which case I must trouble you even more by asking you to free me somehow…" She stopped in the middle of her sentence as a pang of pain worked through her shoulders. Leaning against the wall behind her did nothing to alleviate it, so she slid against it, relishing the rough feeling of its stone scraping against her kimono. "I know what I am asking for is outrageous and completely impossible, but can you at least try, Urahara-sensei? Being exiled is one thing, but I cannot face the prospect of imprisonment. Every time I think about being locked up in a cage, my chest tightens and I feel as if my heart will stop beating."

"Haru-sama…"

"The day my freedom is taken from me, I will perish. I cannot allow that to happen, Urahara-sensei. That is why… that is why I can ask no more of you, but to make sure I keep one ounce of that freedom." A sullen silence was the only thing that occupied both receivers, broken only by Haru's unsteady breathing.

"A cage… is that the only thing you fear, Haru-sama?" For some reason, his gentle voice brought a wave of tears from her eyes, yet no more fell as he continued speaking. "If I understand correctly, Aizen wishes to do something similar with you until you are properly conditioned. He has been sending arrancar partly with the intention of capturing you, but then again, I could be wrong. His aim could simply be to gauge your power, to see if you are even worth the trouble."

"In your opinion, sensei, am I worth the trouble?"

"Don't sound so uncertain of yourself. Of course you're worth the trouble," he reassured her. "Otherwise, why would I have asked you to keep in touch, which I note you haven't been doing."

"I've been busy helping Byakuya-sama with the paper work… and preparing to be assigned to a division."

"Always being helpful… honestly, Haru-sama, you partake in such menial tasks that at times I question your nobility." She knew he was trying to make her feel better, to lift her spirits and bring back that ever-present note of contentment in her voice, but for some reason, he felt himself incapable of doing so. "Do you honestly wish to evade this situation?"

"Of course," she responded.

"And are you aware that, while I would simply love to help you, you are probably asking the wrong person?"

"I do not understand, sensei. Who else could I ask?"

"You know who." His voice was frighteningly serious, but knowing how quickly Haru caught onto things, he elaborated no further than he had. "I'll give Ishida your fond wishes."

"Wait…" Haru swallowed the rest of her words, knowing that Urahara was lingering just beyond to hear them. He waited patiently, which was rather unlike him. "Is everything… all right? Have things been happening in the real world that I should know about?" When silence was the only answer she received, the girl laughed nervously. "Of course not… you would tell me if something was wrong. I apologize for my doubts, Urahara-sensei. Take care of yourself." He uttered his farewell, and the line went dead, leaving Haru to face her own desolate situation as best as she could. With a sigh, she closed the phone and tucked it inside her haori, raising her eyes to the sky. She allowed them to fall shut, opening them again when a shadow passed between her and the light. Curious, her eyes flickered up to meet her visitor, who knelt beside her and took her arm without an ounce of justification. Startled, she struggled against him only until she recognized the face, at which point, she allowed him to continue his work without further rebellion.

"What's wrong?" Haru cast her grim eyes to the ground, realizing that she had been watching him wind the bandage around her self-inflicted wound.

"Betsuni," she replied wistfully, glancing up at the sky again. "What are you doing here, Hajime-san?"

"Takumi came by, demanding we come out here without giving an explanation. I figured you had something to do with it, so I accompanied my fellow squad members, and sure enough…" His voice trailed off as the violet eyes found his own once again, so full of anguish that the remainder of his words escaped him. "Jeez… don't look at me like that. It's quite unsettling."

"Gomenasai, Hajime-san."

"Hey, hey… you don't have to be so formal with me. We're friends, remember?" From the expression on Haru's face, she didn't believe a word of it, so he quickly changed the subject. "Ukitake-taichou should be better by morning. His sickness gave him a little trouble because he overexerted himself. One of his squad members will keep watch over him tonight. Kyoraku-taichou received no injuries, thanks to your tactics."

"I don't deserve thanks," she said resentfully. "Shimori-san died because of my inadequacy and my presence here, and today, another handful of shinigami were killed as well. I am honestly not sure how much more I can take…"

"None of those things were your fault, Haru-san," he reassured her as he thrust a hand inside of his sleeve and began digging. He produced a bottle of clear blue liquid and uncapped it. "Now, I want you to drink this. Don't argue about how it doesn't taste good… I won't hear of it." Obstinately, Haru turned away, glaring at the bottle as if it contained nothing more than deadly poison. "Don't make me force it, Haru-san…"

"Pain killers will do nothing but cloud my judgment."

"It isn't a pain killer… it's something to help your wounds heal faster," Hajime responded. "Besides, I have already been informed about your severe dislike for drugs of all sorts to the point that, even when you are so agonized you are not in your right mind, you hardly accept them. Listen…" The pressure on her shoulder tightened, causing her to grit her teeth in pain until she obeyed Hajime's silent request to give him her full attention. "The bone in your shoulder isn't broken, but I fear the joint may be damaged, and one of your smaller blood vessels may have been damaged. As for your ribs…" His hand wandered along the side of her chest, brushing against them and drawing a hiss of displeasure from her. "They are healing, but your actions today did them no good. You should really be more cautious, Haru-san." He smiled reassuringly as he removed himself from close proximity, waving the bottle in her line of sight until she took it and shot its contents down. Unfazed by the look of surprise on Hajime's face, she returned the empty flask and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'd love to see you drink sake."

"Do not get the wrong idea," Haru said sternly. "I'm just really upset right now, that's all. Usually, I make it a point to enjoy whatever I'm taking in." She moved to rise, but Hajime stopped her, using an imploring look to make her sit down again. "What is it now?"

"That arm of yours needs more support."

"Why? It's not broken."

"But it is wounded, and the less you move it, the faster it will heal." Sighing heavily, she surrendered her arm to Hajime, who wrapped a lengthy piece of bandage around her wrist. Once he considered it sufficient, he motioned for her to lean forward, which allowed him to tie the two ends around her neck. He then sat back to look at his handiwork, placing his hands on his knees and observing as she draped her haori over her shoulders. Retrieving her zanpakutoh, she rose to her feet far too quickly, sinking against the wall rather than relying on Hajime for support.

"Arigato, Hajime-san… I can take it from here." He rose steadily and dusted his hakama off, giving her a look that seemed almost pathetically considerate.

"Haru-san, can I… ask you something?" She gave a curt nod of consent, wondering why he was suddenly concerned with getting her permission to speak. "Ano… the thing is… I have to ask… that technique you used when the arrancar found us, the one that enabled you full control over your body… is it…" He bit off the rest of his sentence when he heard his name. "I'll be there in a moment!" he shouted in reply, and turned resolutely back to Haru. "Is it true that your father was… Yamashita Tatsuhiro?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious." In response, Haru could only glance to her left wrist, on which hung the very cross that had broken during his last battle. "Sensei… spent his whole life looking for you. He wanted so badly to ascertain the link between quincy and shinigami, to learn and study the way the two sides of power meshed when they were present in equal concentration."

"How do you know all of this?" Haru asked. "Did he tell you?"

"Truth be told, I helped him for thirty-four grueling years, ever since he took me in." The smile on his face lost its bitterness, and with peaceful nostalgia, he continued. "I was probably one of the scrawniest kids in Rukongai. Whenever there was food, I was lucky to get any of it. I wasn't strong enough to contend with the others, but there was one thing I was good at." Intrigued by this sudden recount of his history, Haru probed her companion with her gaze until he continued. "I could heal people. Ever since I can remember, I've been doing it, with these hands. But nothing could save me from starvation, nothing could make me strong enough to attain what I so desired. I couldn't ask people for food or money in return doing what I did. I was just saving lives at the expense of my own. When he found me, I was nothing but skin and bones, barely capable of raising my head let alone standing up. He carried me home without restraint; I was too weak to fight him. For days, I could only drink weak broth; a lot of people doubted my ability to survive, but for some reason, I just couldn't die.

"By degrees, he let me into his life. He was the closest thing to a father I've ever known. At the beginning, I was only able to haul books, get his tea, and run for ink if he needed it. Then, he started teaching me how to read, and I've had my head in a book ever since. I became his second shadow as long as he was home, and when he left, I waited behind, practicing my writing or reading until he returned. He was always firm and rigorous in his studies, so I naturally attained the same manner in my own. Then again, I suppose you know what I'm talking about." He gazed at the sky longingly. "Your sensei… he took care of you, too, didn't he?"

"After my parents died, I had nowhere else to go. The Yamashita clan all but lost interest in me, and my mother had no family." She considered her words for a moment before speaking again. "Ano… how did you know… about Urahara-sensei?"

"I could tell by the way you were looking at me when I was talking about Shimori-sensei, as if you were reliving your past as well." He smiled again, this time more warmly than before, and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. From it radiated the smallest traces of reiatsu that crept along her ligaments and filled the aching joint. She felt him flinch slightly when a call tore across the silence.

"Shimori-san! Shimori-san, we're going back!"

"Hai!" he replied, turning his smiling gaze to Haru. "If you ever need to talk, you know where to find me. I would appreciate a visit if you can spare time in the future." He drew back and bowed deeply, startling the girl beyond words. A luminous imprint of his palm remained when he drew away. "Guess this means… I should start calling you Haru-sama, hmm?"

"Nonsense. Being so formal with a friend is foolish." Finding his smile more contagious than ever, she allowed one to briefly cross her face, but it swiftly faded again at the reminder of her dilemma and at the threat of being evicted.

"One more thing," Hajime stated, turning back to her briefly. "Don't leave this place. There are too many people here that find your presence agreeable." Her eyes followed him for another moment before he vanished from sight. Having at last regained her solitude, Haru sighed, retrieving her zanpakutoh drearily and tucking it into her obi before beginning in the direction Hajime had taken only moments before.

_What he says is true, but still… do I have a choice in the matter if Soutaichou-sama decides I cannot stay? _Her head bowed slightly in thought, she paced forward, allowing various musings to run together into one heaping abstract mass of pensive substance. Suddenly, she was feeling more tired than achy, to the point that her very bones seemed to radiate weariness. _It is still the middle of the day, _she thought, glancing up at the sky. _How can I be this tired so soon? _As she rounded the corner, Haru came to the conclusion that it didn't matter, that nothing mattered anymore. She would do what she saw fit, and if anyone stood in her way, she would select the most peaceful and most affective manner of rebelling to counter that decision, though it really was not rebellion at all, but a simple exercise of free will.

A slight pang of pain worked its way through her head, and she came to the realization that the area was clouded with an increased number of controlled reiatsu, three of them captain level, one of them slightly less. She was only vaguely aware of them and decided that that, too, was irrelevant, until a heavy hand fell on her head, drawing from her lungs a sound of surprise and pain. "I had a feeling you'd be here, kodomo."

"Renji-san… please… my head…"

"Ukitake-taichou and Kyoraku-taichou just got done tellin' us how you whooped that arrancar's ass without so much as breaking a sweat."

"Us… who?" she demanded, trying to pull away but finding the task impossible with one hand.

"You're really clueless? I thought you were one of those smart kids…"

"Renji-san…" Haru whimpered slightly as the pressure on her head increased and he stooped to her eye level.

"The hell've you been doing these past few days, kodomo?"

"Don't call me that," she demanded through her teeth.

"Or what?" The challenge in his voice pushed her momentarily over the head. Three captains turned in Renji's direction as he cried out in pain to find Haru's sword had been put to good use and was currently resting against his skull. The redheaded vice captain was in a heap, holding his splitting cranium in a state of oblivion that completely disabled his ability to block the kick that flattened him. Once he stopped rolling, he sat up and glared at the girl, completely outraged. "The hell was that for? You trying to kill me, baka kodomo?"

"That was for being such an asshole! I may only have one good arm at the moment, but one's all I need to crack your damn skull open! Now shut the hell up before I finish the job!" Having never seen Haru genuinely angry, Renji glared at her until his captain's shadow slid past him. Ashamed of her outburst, she turned away from the stoic nobleman, her eyes still dancing with the remnants of anger and the recollection of Genryuusai's words. "Why are you here?" she asked when his shadow touched his own. He was only half a foot from her when his footsteps ceased, allowing a disheartening quietude to dominate until his words dethroned it.

"I was asked to return these to you." Haru turned to catch a glimpse of the glasses in his hand, but before she could reach out to take them, they disappeared inside his haori, drawing a pleading whimper from her lungs as she reached for them. "I will give them back once you explain yourself. What are you doing out here with my coworkers, and why was I told these came directly from Genryuusai-dono?" She toyed with the idea of speaking for a moment, then reached out and attempted to take the glasses again, at which point, Byakuya seized her only free arm by the wrist and held it steadily in his own. "It is futile to struggle, Haru-kun. If you will not speak, I have ways of getting the answer out of you."

"You wouldn't dare!" she cried, trying vainly to pull away. "I said I would tell you tonight. Until then, you can rely on your somewhat sporadic patience to keep you satisfied." As if her tone was not laden with enough caution, Haru shot a genuine glare in his direction before trying once again to rid herself of his grasp. This time, he allowed her to escape partially, but when her fingers came in contact with his own, he seized her hand more gently than he had her wrist. The shock of it drew the fury out of her gaze and subdued her to the point of reason. A hint of pink worked its way across her cheeks, eventually weighing her head down in a bow of mortified apology. When he tugged on her hand, a silent request that she follow him, she had no choice but to do so despite her misgivings.

"As Haru-kun has already expressed her ardent refusal to speak, I must ask the two of you how in heaven's name she came to be in such a convenient place. Clearly, the three of you must have met with Genryuusai-dono earlier today, though the reason is beyond me."

"Don't sound so threatened. We never intended for anything to happen to Haru-chan…" Shunsui peered at her from under his hat, then shifted his gaze to Ukitake, who looked slightly paler than usual but had clearly recovered from his earlier fit. Haru gave him a sharp look as if to demand he go home and rest immediately. Only when he refused to budge did she recall that her rank was not as high as his despite her nobility, so she simply slid into Byakuya's shadow, hoping to disappear into it without much notice.

"Haru-san, we have to come clean."

"Come… clean?" she inquired, glancing at Renji as he stepped behind his captain, silently adding his demand to the verbal explanation. "I do not understand… did you not tell me that I was to take an exam, after which, I would be seated?"

"Exam? What exam?" Renji demanded.

"You know… the one you have to take to leave the academy and be assigned to a division."

"Oh, yeah… I remember that…" He withdrew into a private memory for a moment, wincing as his head gave a violent throb. "I don't know what sucked worse… that my head was so sore from thinking, that my hand was so sore from writing, or that my ass was so sore from sitting." Byakuya raised a brow at Haru, who looked at the two captains helplessly. "Of course, that only took one captain. The exam itself was overseen by the staff at the academy, mainly teachers to make sure you're not cheating." Haru considered the redhead's account for a moment before looking to Byakuya, who was glaring intensely at the two captains in his line of sight.

"But if the real exam only takes one captain and is done in writing, why was I supervised by three and interrogated all morning?"

"That's… what we need to come clean about," Ukitake admitted. She could feel Byakuya's rage even though she couldn't see her eyes, and the very prospect of him angry made her shoulders quiver. Silently mourning the loss of his hand, Haru allowed him to release it as he took two steps forward with a hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Do you mean to tell me… that you tricked this innocent girl into taking the captain's exam?"

"Eh?" Renji shouted, looking to the silent Haru, whose head was bowed beneath the weight of thought. "Just why the hell would she need to take the captain's exam for when she hasn't even been through the academy?"

"I find it worth pointing out that Zaraki Kenpachi attained captain's status without setting foot inside the academy."

"But still!"

"It is a little late for your objections, Renji-san," Haru murmured. True, she had been fooled completely, but a lot of things made sense now that their true intentions had been unveiled. For one thing, the vast amount of information she had piled away over the past three days was suddenly more relevant subject matter. That the exam was oral rather than written gave the three captains a chance to evaluate not just her ability to regurgitate information, but it also allowed the opportunity to evaluate her mannerisms, her personality, and her ability to speak, all of which were taken into consideration when captains were chosen. She grimly stared at the ground for a moment before allowing a heavy sigh to escape her; despite having resolved almost all of her uncertainties, there was still Genryuusai's words, and having already chosen a course of action should the time ever come to rebel against them, Haru paced forward and touched Byakuya's arm. "It's fine, Byakuya-sama."

"Haru-kun…"

"Please don't be upset with them." When the grip on his arm tightened, he breathed a subtle sigh and released his sword. "Come on… I'll help you finish the paperwork."

"Already done," Renji stated, "which means I'm off to the bar. Tomorrow's my day off, and I'm not wasting a minute of it."

"Then I suppose you need no apology."

"The hell I don't!"

"If you are feeling well enough to drink, then I must not have hit you hard enough."

"My head is killing me…"

"Probably because you've been yelling at me for the past twenty minutes."

"Guess you trying to crack my skull open has nothing to do with it, kodomo?" Renji was clearly angry, but he said nothing more. He simply turned and walked away, drawing a sigh of relief from Haru as she released her host's arm, confident that he would do nothing to neither of the captains, and placed herself confidently between them.

"Ukitake-taichou, why did you not notify me of your plans before I volunteered to take this exam?"

"Because had we not been covert, you would have held back." Haru considered it, found that to be the case, and began forward again, bowing her head as she passed. "Gomenasai, Haru-san. I hope you can forgive my trickery."

"I'll be more forgiving if you go home and get some rest. You have already overexerted yourself once today on my account; I will not have you doing it again."

"Before I go, I have one more question to ask you, Haru-san." She cast her eyes over her shoulder to signal that she was listening. "Surely, someone of your skill level must have a bankai." She glanced at her host, silently gauging his surprise before turning her fully attention to the two examiners. "You are undoubtedly a remarkable fighter. Regardless of what fate Yamamoto-soutaichou deems fit for you, I know we can expect great things from your efforts, but this is something we must ask you."

"Then I apologize," Haru replied. "I cannot answer."

"But why?"

"I simply cannot."

"Demo…"

"Let it go, Jyuushiro," Shunsui interrupted. "If Haru-chan doesn't want to tell us, she doesn't have to. It's not surprising that she doesn't trust us after we tricked her."

"That has nothing to do with it." The tone of her response drew their attention again, full of underlying bitterness at having to refrain from speaking. From the sharp look in her eyes, she saw no reason to confess the motive of her secrecy save obedience, and at the moment, she looked anything but willing to fulfill their requests. Anxiety worked its way across her eyes for a moment, until she decisively gripped the cross hanging from her left arm and bowed her head to hide her eyes. "Gomenasai… please do not think ill of me for it."

"It's fine," Ukitake reassured her, coughing lightly behind his hand.

"Will you… be all right, Ukitake-taichou?" A sorrowful smile crossed his face as he stepped forward and patted her head.

"I told you not to blame yourself," he murmured. "Besides, you don't need to worry about me. Take some time to make sure your injuries get no worse. We'll know by next week what is to be done with you." For a moment, he imagined Haru trembling under his hand, but he brushed aside the very thought and cast his gaze to a rather tart looking Byakuya. "You will take care of her, won't you?" His answer was a wordless, curt nod, almost as if he was afraid of what he would say if he spoke. Once they were alone, Haru shifted so her back was turned to her host. Her entire body tensed when his steps echoed in the emptiness around them, and with a gentle hand, he turned her so she was facing him again. Ardent in her desire to avoid his gaze, Haru kept her eyes fixed on the ground, even when an imploring finger drifted under her chin.

"What is it?"

"You… are angry with me." When he didn't answer, Haru turned her head slightly. "I wasn't sure why Ukitake-taichou insisted that I remain silent about the exam. I only know I was suspicious. I should have refused to comply." His finger trailed along her cheek, pausing when the skin beneath it felt hot and damp. "I should have told you everything from the beginning, Byakuya-sama. Perhaps then… perhaps then, our parting would not hurt as much." Bewilderment flashed across his midnight gaze when he realized the girl was trembling with restraint.

"Is this why you have been asking me what will happen after your seating?" Faint amusement and sympathy were laced into his words as he enclosed her face in his hands and gently guided it to his shoulder. "Tell me, why must things change once you are assigned to a division? Why can they not be as they have?"

"I have another reason to be afraid now," Haru confessed, escaping his grasp and wiping her eyes. "Soutaichou-sama… said some things… and I suddenly find myself back to where I began. I keep questioning what right I have to be here, to be admitted to the Gotei 13, to trouble you with any of this… and no matter how long or hard I try, I can find no answer, adequate or otherwise. One thing is clear: my will means nothing. I will either be removed from Seireitei and exiled to wherever he sees fit, or I will be imprisoned for the very crime of existing." The revelation startled Byakuya beyond words or rational thought; all he knew was the feelings that lurked behind his stoic face. He felt angry with his superior for saying such cruel words to Haru and for judging her based solely on her lineage, he felt the familiar confusion that had goaded him constantly through Rukia's ordeal. Mingled with them was the fear that, yes, he may indeed have to sacrifice her presence at the end of things. They all became meaningless when a pair of imploring violet eyes locked on his own, still running over with tears of agony and terror. "If I had my way, I would stay with you until you couldn't stand my presence anymore. I would continue working under you voluntarily. Why such devotion for a man I hardly know? It isn't reasonable… but I know what I want. I want to keep living in that house with you. I am more than aware that I am being irrational in having these wishes, but that is how I feel, even if it is wrong."

"Haru…" He staggered backwards as Haru threw herself at his chest, clinging with her good hand to the folds of his haori and burying her face in them. That she still had such strength came as a pleasant surprise to him.

"It is wrong of me to ask anymore of you, considering you have done so much for me already, but… I feel that I must ask you this, no matter how inappropriate or outlandish it sounds. Byakuya-sama…" For a moment, her eyes appeared, glistening with a battle between her pride and the desires she had already voiced. Then, she burrowed against his chest again with great fervor, as if she wanted to crawl inside of him and hide her disgrace of an existence from the entire world. His fingers brushed against the back of her head, leaving the restraint in her hair and lingering there simply for comfort. The grip on his haori strengthened, but her words were devoid of any vigor whatsoever. They were completely defenseless, entirely vulnerable, and rather than a polite request, she almost sounded as if she was begging. "Tasukete…" she murmured, relishing the feeling of his arms encircling her trembling frame. "Tasukete… kudasai."

* * *

Huzzah and such! Another one finished! I truly hope it was satisfactory and I found all the typos (and there were a boatload... I feel like I'm getting worse, not better...). If not, I have a Japanese lesson to make up for it:

Iie : No

Hai : Yes

Matte : Wait

Moshi moshi : Greeting you use when picking up the phone.

Betsuni : Nothing

Gomenasai : Formal apology

Ano : Japanese equivalent of "um" or "uh" or something like that… 3

Kodomo : Kid

Baka : Stupid

Demo : But

Tasukete kudasai : Please help me (I'm beginning to think there's a different "please" for verbs and then some other sort of please that is onegai, but I'm not an expert on Japanese, even after all this. XD)

The funny tidbit I promised you in the A/N (consider this a poor substitute for the Shinigami Cup Golden that follow the episodes): So I was having a conversation with Flamy-chan the other day about the almost latest Shinigami Cup Golden. If you haven't seen (episode 173), it, go watch it before continuing… it's easy enough to find on YouTube and has absolutely nothing to do with the plot of the show. I'll wait patiently until you're done…

_Whistles Jeopardy! Theme…_

Oh, you're back already. Well done… ;) Anyway, as it is fresh in your mind, recall Byakuya's expression when the panel to his wall slides open to reveal the entirety of the Women's Shinigami Association in his house, a "WTF?" mixed with an "Oh, crap…" Don't ask how we got to this point (Note: the following has been edited for length… I took out a lot of the random lines with emoticons on it because I don't want this being as long as the chapter… XD):

sierra064: The expression on his face...

sierra064: Is hilarious.

flamehazel: yah

flamehazel: pricelesss xD

sierra064: I.e. The expression that would be on his face if he walked in on Haru changing. XD

flamehazel: ...

flamehazel: lemme think

flamehazel: ...

flamehazel: he would jump her before we see anything :

sierra064: O.O

flamehazel: no i am not sick, that is the...bare truth

flamehazel: you made it pretty clear actually

flamehazel: so don't run away on me now

sierra064: Did you just make... a pun?

flamehazel: um...what?

flamehazel: i didn't mean to offend you

sierra064: No, of course not... XD

sierra064: "Bare truth..." Ahaha... XD

sierra064: I'm cracking up over here!

flamehazel: me too actually

sierra064: Since, you know, she's in a state of undress...

(Interjection: no, this will probably never happen in the fic. It was just a hypothetical).

So, then there was some stuff about me making linner… and then we return to the initial pun…

flamehazel: that bare thing...the universe just hit me with a wet cloth in the face xD

sierra064: XD

sierra064: wet cloth?

sierra064: You're making it WORSE!! XD

flamehazel: whaaat xD

sierra064: He washed her back, remember? (Brief interjection: see ch. 22).

flamehazel: never read the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy xD

flamehazel: whaaaat O.O

flamehazel: oh yeas...

flamehazel: xD

sierra064: XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

flamehazel: XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

Yes, it was extremely random and hilarious. I probably laughed about it for well over 5 minutes. And now, I'll stop torturing you and let you get back to life. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter, and look for the next one soon. Thanks again for reading! Please don't forget your free pie on the way out… :D


	24. Chapter 24: Change

A/N: Ok, so I know I said I would update last week, but I got a bit overwhelmed with grad parties and parents going out of town and class starting tonight and the worst stomach bug I've ever had (Note: If you think the cheese is bad, throw it away regardless of what the expiration date is…). So, despite feeling like I got hit by a car, a truck, a stealth plane, and a flying toaster, I mustered up enough energy to post the second to last chapter. Alas… poor fanfic… I knew thee well… if I get enough angry PMs/reviews demanding a sequel, then I'll consider posting one… thanks as usual to my readers, reviewers, etc. and I hope you enjoy it despite the misery I took in posting it.

Update: Omg... this chapter is HUGE... probably one of the biggest I've got... it's on the cusp of 15,000 words including the A/N and Japanese lesson... yay me! (What? Y'all said you liked long chapters...)

* * *

_Chapter 24: Change_

The next few days were a difficult return to their ordinary routine, difficult in the sense that Haru was always attempting unsuccessfully to produce a genuine smile but found the task impossible due to some lingering trepidation despite her host's reassurances. Though the fear did not intervene with the task she voluntarily continued to partake in, it did make sleep a little more difficult to come by. Her passage to unconsciousness was smoothed by Byakuya, who had a subtle way of taking extra pains to ensure she was comfortable. For instance, he did not cling as tightly as he normally did, and he avoided tormenting her back, settling for nothing more than brief, slight contact that was usually unintentional. He also insisted on them sparring each evening after work; the physical activity, he reassured her, would certainly help alleviate the anxiety. She readily accepted the agreement and proceeded uphold a three-night streak of perpetual losses.

Byakuya found the days that followed very trying in his own way. It was with difficulty that he restrained his elation, having felt that he had finally done something worthwhile for Haru, something that would strengthen the ever-changing bond between them. Easing her fears became a skill to be honed, and he took great pride in every tactic in his arsenal. Then again, it wasn't difficult considering her placidity. He was certain such a thing should not have pleased him as much as it did, yet he could not deny the simple contentment her presence instilled. Haru's explicit articulation of her desire to remain despite her impending assignment only gave his actions greater certainty. Nonetheless, there was his image to uphold: the stoic, indifferent head of the Kuchiki clan and captain of the sixth division.

He forgot all that once they were alone in the room where they had first sparred. The silence was only broken by two swords clanging together and their breaths when they became weary from battle. Thrown to the ground for the fourth or fifth time that evening, Haru remained stationary for a moment before rolling onto her side and forcing herself into a kneeling position, straightening her spine and resting her hands on her knees to maximize the amount of air she took into her lungs with each breath. If she had to put a label to his expression, she would have called it bemused, likely over the fact that Haru simply could not beat him. With a disappointed sigh, he wiped the sweat from his brow and turned away. "Dinner will be ready soon."

"Once more," she panted, gritting her teeth as every bone and muscle in her body pleaded for respite. "Please… just once more."

"What will one more round accomplish?"

"I'll let you wash my back again if you beat me," Haru offered. His brow arched at the offer, and after silently analyzing her tone, he found the proposal genuine. Intrigued by her readiness, he removed the half-sheathed Senbonzakura and prepared to fulfill her request. She took up her ready stance, shutting her eyes for a moment before opening them. Within them flickered something analytic and determined, something that always made Byakuya wonder exactly what she was thinking. Certain that he would soon find out, he retained his stance, waiting for Haru to make the first move. Using shunpo, she vaulted forward only to have her strike blocked, but with a slight adjustment to the way she was holding her sword, she managed to disengage and strike again, sliding her blade along his own until its sharp edge met the hilt.

It was something she did on occasion, Byakuya noted, and usually, when she did, she almost always had greater plans than what she let on. He pushed against the opposing sword with difficulty; moving when restricted to that position was a feat in itself. Vaguely aware that her foot had wrapped around his ankle, he considered drawing back, but that would likely have resulted in both of them losing their balance. At last, he managed to free his sword, but before he could dart away, Haru's other foot shot towards his left side, a kick that he blocked with his wrist. His hand grasped only empty air when he attempted to restrain it, and he only just managed to avoid the sword shooting towards his neck. His guest took three steps backward, giving him an opportunity to put every ounce of his speed and strength into an attack.

One thrust forward completely altered the odds: Haru evaded by leaping over the blade. She altered her angle in the air so she was leaning forward slightly with her sword raised just above her head, the exact same position she used when initiating her final attack form. Byakuya hardly had time to raise his sword to block the hit. The manner in which he absorbed it threw him off balance, which ended with the two of them in a heap on the floor. Senbonzakura slipped out of his hands and tumbled out of his reach, but Haru still clutched her sword, keeping the flat of her blade against his left wrist. "Su… sumimasen…" she breathed, contemplating their position as she tried vainly to collect enough strength to rise. Focused on her own condition, she could spare no trace of attention to examine Byakuya's expression, which held a mixture of mortification, contentment, and that same subtle hunger in a more concentrated state. With her entire weight on his chest, it was difficult for him to breathe, but he managed the task, not wanting to disturb her until her breathing slowed.

By then, his body was acting without his mind's consent. He gingerly turned over so he was lingering just above her, his hazy midnight eyes reading every facet of emotion in her eyes. One lazy pale finger brushed along her cheek, breaking the rhythm of her slowing breaths and causing her to gasp. "Tell me something, Haru-kun…" As he spoke, he began leaning closer, drawing the slightest flash of anticipation across her gaze, which augmented as his hand pressed against her reddened cheek. "Is that adorable blush of yours from sparring for so long, or is it from something else?" Haru's head turned slightly, and her body shifted beneath his own.

"What kind of question is that?"

"I am right…" It took little force to straighten her head again so her violet eyes were locked on his. Hunger had overpowered everything else in them, causing an involuntary shudder to work its way through Haru. Her lips were still parted to enable more ease when taking air in, and during their various matches, a few stray ends of hair had come loose. Byakuya's other hand wandered along the bare skin of her arm, which was surprisingly cool despite the effort she had just put forth, while the hand that had hitherto been against her cheek slid beneath her chin and tilted it slightly. Having met no objections, either voiced or otherwise, the noble continued his descent. A lock of black hair brushed against Haru's cheek as her half-lidded eyes drifted completely shut in anticipation. Then, the light changed, his position shifted, and the lips she had anticipated to fall against her own pressed instead against her forehead.

As quickly as he had leaned in, he drew away, studying the resentment on Haru's face with a mild trace of amusement. "You're so cruel," she retorted, moving to thrust her fist into his solar plexus only to have it caught before reaching its target.

"Unless you want your dinner getting cold, I recommend we call it a night." She shivered as her shield from the air drew away, leaving the subtle currents to assault her as they saw fit. After sitting up, she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"You seem rather intent in studying me, Byakuya-sama."

"Perhaps because you fascinate me," he responded in monotone. Haru brushed the unruly tendrils of hair behind her ears before sheathing her sword and retrieving her previously discarded haori. In its folds rested her glasses, which she promptly put on before draping the black garment around her shoulders. She was surprisingly steady when she rose to her feet, holding her glasses on her face with one hand and gripping her sword in the other. Seeing that his guest was prepared, he retrieved Senbonzakura and sheathed it, though removing his gaze from the subject of his study left him feeling a bit less alive than he had a moment before. The moment he started walking forward, he was stopped by a firm grasp on his scarf, at which he peered uncertainly back at its holder. "Haru-kun?"

"Are you certain… things will not change when I am assigned to a division?"

"You are still worried about that?" He sighed heavily at Haru's sudden closeness to his back. She pushed against it much the same way she had when she begged for his help just three days before: with incomparable readiness and a desire to conceal everything that made her who she was. "Outside these walls, things will change; that is inevitable. But I am confident that things within them will not change too drastically."

"Demo…" Despite the absolution in his eyes when he turned to glance at her, Haru could not help but voice her concerns. "What about… your reputation?"

"What about it?"

"Is it legitimate to continue letting me stay? I do not want you being accused of favoritism or attachment. Besides, what we are doing is improper… would your family not disapprove of me?" All Byakuya perceived in those words was yet another attempt to recultivate the distance between them. For some reason, he could not bear those attempts no more than he could bear the goading hand of his own desires. With a starting speed, he whirled around, closing his hands around the girl's face, and, ignoring the startled look that overcame it, vigorously pressed his lips against her own. From beneath his lashes, he studied her wide-eyed shock, which he answered with a firm look of certainty that drew her silvery eyes closed. She felt the faint trace of a smile in his kiss and relished every wave of pleasure that coursed through her body. Once Byakuya was certain he had convinced her, he pulled away, studying her with his burning midnight gaze as she gasped for breath and clung to him for support.

"Attachment is not the half of it. As for propriety, you should have learned long ago I think very little of it when it comes to my personal matters."

"Personal matters? I thought I was only here because of an order." Deeming her strong enough to support her own weight, Byakuya released her and whirled away from her.

"Technically, that is the case, is it not?"

"I am beginning to think not," Haru confessed.

"I find it worth noting that, originally, I was ordered to keep you here."

"And now?"

"Now, I keep you here because you wish to stay," Byakuya informed her.

"I suppose, then, that your desire has nothing to do with it?" Now he knew precisely why he had turned away; it was still impossible to fight the mortification that welled up at any mention of the word from Haru. She noted that he stiffened slightly, and his hand involuntarily twitched. Byakuya never delivered an answer to that question, but that which he silently provided her with was more than sufficient for Haru. Her mind lingered on the matter even as she continued filing the papers the next morning. Already, it was half past eight, and Renji had made no appearance. From the look in Byakuya's eyes, it was easy to see that his vice captain would be subjected to a lecture once he arrived… if he even chose to.

Just when Haru was beginning to have her doubts, the door flew open with a bang, drawing from her a slight cry of surprise that she instantly regretted. The only sound that occurred after that was a single drop of ink falling from the captain's brush back into the well. Byakuya's fury was subtle but intense, so much so as to draw from Haru a slight quiver of trepidation. "Sumimasen, Kuchiki-taichou, but I can explain…"

"Haru," he said calmly, "would you be so kind as to give me a moment alone with my vice captain?" She glanced to the redhead, watching as he restrained every impulse to demand the right to speak freely, and calmly rose to her feet, folding her hands around her sword and giving a more than perturbed Byakuya an imploring look.

"Do you not think it wise to allow him a chance to explain himself, Byakuya-sama?" Renji almost stopped breathing at those words; that she would actually question him was befuddling enough, but the fact that she did so in another's presence was considered by the redhead to be anything but possible. The sharp glare Byakuya sent her way did nothing to alter her determination. "I mean, I know Renji-san is usually tardy, but never in my experience has he been this late. Surely, he must have some laudable reason for it?"

"A moment alone," Byakuya repeated tersely.

"Demo…" Futility overtook her for a moment, but its reign was soon overturned by that ever obstinate determination. "I owe this man for saving my life, Byakuya-sama, and you owe him for that, too. I will not see that debt unpaid, no matter how belittling you think it is to do so."

"When last I looked, I was the captain…"

"That still does not mean I cannot ask you for favors," Haru responded, crossing her arms matter-of-factly as she stepped towards his desk. "It could not possibly hurt, Byakuya-sama, and besides, the more you argue with me, the longer it will take." His despondent eyes slowly fell shut and remained that way even when Haru stood right next to him, leaning against his shoulder as she whispered an addition into his ear. "If it is stooping you are concerned about, then consider it a favor to me personally."

"You said yourself you were not a noble," he murmured.

"Disagreeing at your own convenience… you are impossible." Byakuya only opened his eyes when he was certain of the distance between them. The last thing he needed was for his vice captain to take note of the heated glimmer in his eyes. Haru's reassuring smile was fixed on Renji for a moment, but once it turned back to him, it became encouraging.

"I cannot believe you have talked me into this…" he retorted, fixing his eyes on his vice captain. "This had better be good, Renji. If I find Haru-kun's insistence has been wasted, I will personally see to it that you are never late again."

"Hai, Kuchiki-taichou… arigato-gonzaimasu." Renji bowed his head to show further gratitude, noting the manner his captain raised an impatient finger to his chin, almost as if he was waiting to judge. "I ain't trying to make you anxious or anything, but some guys from the first squad stopped me this morning and asked me a couple of questions about you. The only reason it took so long is because half the questions they asked were the kind that have more than one answer, and I wanted to make sure I gave the right answer."

"What sort of questions?" The words came from Byakuya, who divided his attention between his vice captain and his paperwork.

"Just some stuff about how I got along with her and how rebellious she is and whether or not she's dangerous…" That final word brought Byakuya's hand to a dead halt. His eyes glazed over with an icy coating of animosity. Haru moved the sword in her hands nervously, more at her host's reaction than anything. "I think it's just for safety, taichou…"

"They are judging me based on my bloodline alone," Haru retorted, her eyes flickering pensively. "Besides, as far as I know, they have not interrogated others regarding the safety of any soon-to-be shinigami, not even those from Rukongai. In fact, the only name I came across in my studies that met with such rebellion was…" She couldn't help but let her words fall to silence at the thought of being hunted down.

"Zaraki Kenpachi," Byakuya finished, speaking the name as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"And he's pretty homicidal if you stop and think about it, but they still let him keep his position since he earned it." He paused to examine the woe begotten expression on Haru's face. "A… ano… I'm pretty sure you don't have to worry."

"Iie," Byakuya responded. "Though I can guarantee you she marks this as an unforgivable affront on her pride, there is as of yet no reason for her to worry." She made no response, verbal or otherwise, to his reassurances, but remained rigid and pale with a mixture of rational thought and irrational fear. The urge rose up in him to offer comfort beyond words, but with his vice captain in the room, he firmly restrained those unorthodox, inexplicable desires. Midnight eyes briefly fixed on the tattooed vice captain, who seemed to be waiting for something as his shadow loomed over Byakuya's workspace. Finding himself suddenly irritated by the inhibition, he drew a breath and returned his attention to the form on his desk. "That will be all, Renji."

"Eh?" he inquired bewilderedly. The volume of his voice was enough to draw the captain's faintly flustered gaze away from the sheet of paper and back to Renji. "Demo… ain't you gonna chew me out or bite my head off or anything like that?"

"I feel that, for once, you have justified your tardiness. For this, you owe Haru-kun more thanks than your pitiful excuse for a vocabulary is capable of expressing. Now, get to work before I change my mind." Paralyzed by shock, Renji remained for a moment, entirely silent and unmoving until he shifted his gaze to Haru, who had turned away from him, arms behind her back as she gazed wistfully out the window. The lack of noise with which he slipped into his office only added to the lingering traces of eeriness in the air. Nonetheless, Haru's shoulders betrayed her fear not over Renji's unusually docile manner but over the words he brought with him. Her mind was far from the office, far from Seireitei itself, beyond perceiving the quiet discarding of a chair, the rustle of a captain's haori, the light and graceful steps that crossed the room. But the pair of arms that wound their way around her shoulders and made her a willing prisoner was something not even mental distance could cause her to overlook. To show her gratitude, Haru pressed her back against his chest, folding her hands over one wrist to secure her confinement. "Why do you tremble, Haru-kun?"

"I cannot… I cannot face that sort of fate. If they lock me up, how am I supposed to…" She bit off the rest of her sentence and bowed her head, not that he could see her eyes anyway. He didn't need to see them to know how close she was to tears. "How am I supposed to rise above the sun if I cannot see it?" A gentle breath brushed across her ear, carrying with it his firm shush that somehow subdued her woe and grief.

"You know I would not let that happen." Letting go of her suspicion to his incorrectness and the entirely rational affirmation that he had no power over such things, she allowed herself one iota of comfort before struggling to get free of his grasp. Byakuya knew her desires better than she did in that conflicted moment and clung to the girl with all the strength he could use without hurting her. "Haru-kun, I need to you to stay like this for another moment," he murmured in her ear, drawing a flash of violet over her shoulder.

"Nande?"

"Do I need a reason?" His tone was laced with something dark and dismal that perhaps she could alleviate, so Haru obeyed his orders and leaned her back against his chest.

"You really are mad."

"Only because you make me so." At those words, she seemed to relax a bit, though it was not as much as he wanted. Then again, he had no qualms with making headway in steps. "But I would be a little less maddened, and thus able to restrain myself more effectively, if you could smile the way you used to."

"The way… I used to?" Haru paused for a moment. "I am not sure what you mean. I have only been here for a month, and every smile I have worn has held some trace of secrecy to it. If you know everything about me, then my smile will never be the same again."

"But I do not know everything," he reminded her. "There is still bankai…"

"Which I have already told you I do not possess."

"I think you are lying to me, Haru-kun." The breath of his accusation struck her neck, effectively arresting her ability to rebel and to argue her point. "Show me."

"Now?"

"At your convenience," he murmured, his tone laced with heavy triumph. Her eyes flashed, and with no glasses to shield them peripherally, Byakuya could easily discern the emotion. "So… I was right." Having had enough of his victory, Haru flashed out of his grip, leaving only the air for his arms to hold.

"Stubborn," she retorted, folding her arms irately. "Did you fail to catch the hidden meaning again? For someone with so much class, you certainly can be naïve sometimes… when I say saishuuteki na keitai, I mean saishuuteki na keitai. Shinseinahi is the final form. Nothing comes after it, and I mean _nothing_… so stop pestering me about a power that will never exist." A startled look overcame Byakuya's expression as she sat down and continued her labor dutifully. "What is with that look?" Haru demanded without looking up. "You know not all shinigami are capable of reaching bankai, so why does it surprise you that I, who am only half shinigami, am incapable of such a feat?" So embittered were her words that he feared he would not be able to speak. Thus, he reserved his words and settled for crossing the room, seating himself at his desk, and following suit with is adamant volunteer. There were a multitude of things he could have said, but for some reason, the words in his head would not cooperate. They were nothing more than words, impudent groups of ideograms that would not organize themselves into coherent sentences. As troubling as it was, Byakuya did not have to speak to scatter the silence. "It makes perfect sense."

"Hmm?" he asked, glancing up from his paperwork.

"Someone like me should naturally be barred from the shinigami's pinnacle of power. Impurity, even when accepted, is still impurity, after all." Something odd welled up in him at the sound of desolation in her voice, so like that which her voice possessed in their first meeting that he could hardly bear it. That those were her final words before she was swept away by her task was even more unsettling. Haru paused when she realized Byakuya was staring at her and raised her eyes, doubtful and bitter, yet still flashing with some sort of secret he could not manage to decode. His scrutiny would have continued had the door not at that very moment flew open, startling her beyond the usual limits. In the doorway stood the very vice captain whom moments earlier she had defended, now looking more flustered than he typically did as he paced forward and seized Haru by the front of her uniform, hauling her to her feet without so much as a struggle and dragging her towards the door without explanation.

"Re… Renji-san…"

"Come on… you've got some explaining to do."

"Demo… it is only morning… is it not a little early for breaks?" Seeing the fiery anger in his eyes forced her to swallow all further arguments in favor of silent rebellion. She cast a helpless eye back at Byakuya, whose hand lingered just above a form, frozen by the sudden intrusion, and flickering with a biting sort of irritation that was unfamiliar to her. "Byakuya-sama…" she murmured. At the very name, she was jolted forward again, this time a bit more harshly than before, and when the nobleman disappeared behind his office door, Haru moved to throw herself against it. Her hands barely reached the handle as Renji drug her into the sunlight, so blinding that she could only raise her arm in rebellion against it. It served to remind her of what exactly she should be focused on at the moment, so her heels dug into the ground and a furious hand found his wrist, closing around it with surprising force. "Let go of me!" she shouted, throwing her entire weight backwards but failing to stop their forward progress entirely. "Let go!"

Haru threw her weight back a second time, using more strength than was necessary. Having already complied with her demands, Renji watched as she stumbled backwards and onto the ground, wincing at the force her left shoulder absorbed. Venomous violet eyes glared up at him, bearing with them a silent threat to crack his skull open at the very least, and to run him through at the most. Fortunately for the vice captain, Haru had been given no time to retrieve her zanpakutoh before being dragged forcibly outside the office walls. Therefore, she begrudgingly committed herself to doing her best without it. "Come on."

"But Renji-san…"

"Come on," he repeated, seizing her wrist and pulling her to her feet, dragging her several additional steps forward, and releasing it once he was certain she would follow. Haru's steps possessed a certain hesitance that Renji felt it necessary to alleviate. "Honestly, you ever relax, kodomo?" Startled that he spoke, Haru raised her eyes and questioned the brown gaze he threw over his shoulder. "You always seem up tight about something. If it's not me, it's taichou, and if it's not him, it's something else."

"I do not know what you mean," she said.

"I'm saying you gotta learn to relax," he retorted. "Look, Kuchiki-taichou clearly thinks real highly of you…"

"Just a minute… he thinks nothing of the sort." Her objection drew Renji to stop abruptly, and Haru stopped quickly after. For some reason, it was easier to focus when she was with the redhead. When he whirled around to face her, she instinctively leapt back and closed her hands around empty air, wishing more than ever that she carried her zanpakutoh at the moment. She bowed her head beneath the heavy hand that came to rest atop it and gazed dolefully at the ground.

"You really think I'm that stupid? I can tell he's crazy about you."

"What makes you say that?" she demanded.

"Easy enough… Kuchiki-taichou's always said that worry is wasted effort, ever since his wife died, but he worried about her. He worried about Rukia, too, but that was a different kind of worry, the kind an older brother has for his younger sister. And since the worry he's got for you doesn't really seem like that he had for Rukia, I reckon it's got to be the other kind of worry, even though I was never around to see what that was like." Haru considered it for a moment, faintly recalling his vagueness about precisely whose anxiety their nightly spar would alleviate. It was possible that Renji was right in his theories. Then again, there was a certain untruth to it, a complete and total lack of believability that existed only to point out that he was not wholly right.

"Iie… he is not concerned in the least."

"What makes you say that?"

"Byakuya-sama tends to interrogate the people he cares about, but more so when he is worried about them. As he has of late refrained from asking me a great deal of questions, I can only assume his concern, if there is any, does not rise above the typical level." Haru closed her eyes to consider it further, allowing her brows to fall together as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Hey," he said, drawing the analytical girl away from her ruminations. "Quit thinking so hard about it." But the thoughtful look remained on her face despite his command, and the hand on her head became a little lighter. "You ever think he has more than one way of showing he's worried? I'm telling you, it's driving him crazy that you're like this right now."

"And who, pray tell, deemed you the expert on Byakuya-sama's psychology?"

"I've been around him for fifty years longer than you have, so I got to have at least some ability to read him." Still looking as if she didn't believe him, Haru removed herself from his reach, and, after shooting a doubtful glance over her shoulder, began to walk back towards the office when he again seized her, this time by the back of her uniform, and proceeded to drag her farther away from her destination.

"Let go of me, damn it! Quit dragging me! Abarai-san… stop... I swear to the gods, the first thing I do when I get Suzaku back is crack your empty skull open!"

"First off, quit makin' a scene… I'm not gonna hurt you. Second off, cut the formal shit and call me by my first name, or I'll knock your puny little head off. Third off, I'm smart enough to move if you try hittin' me with that thing again. Fourth off, and this is important, so quit squirming and listen up…" Haru's rebellion would not be stayed by simple words, so Renji gave the back of her haori a good tug to show he meant business and lowered his eyes to her own. "Whether you want to admit it or not, Kuchiki-taichou's clearly fretting about you, and it's not helping in the least that you won't relax."

"Soutaichou-sama has made it quite clear that I am not welcome here."

"You really think he's just gonna sit back and watch as you two're separated? Like hell, he will. He'd sooner die."

"Isn't that a little extreme?" They stared each other down for a moment before Renji finally released her and turned away.

"I just don't get you. One day, you make an attempt on my life, and the next, you're sticking up for me with no motivation that I can see. And you're all freaked out over this deal with not belonging here… hell, if he won't fight to keep you here, then I will."

"That isn't necessary, Renji-san…"

"Urusai. There ain't a shinigami alive as strong as you are that deserves to be looked down on."

"Demo…"

"Don't 'demo' me! I'm going out on a limb for you here. You're supposed to thank me."

"It isn't just that," Haru responded heatedly, folding her arms with startling decisiveness.

"Then what?" Renji demanded.

"For one thing, Byakuya-sama's desire to keep me safe is troublesome enough. I do not need you mothering me, too, Renji-san. And for another, while I am concerned about my seating, I cannot shake this feeling…" Haru's voice trailed off as she dug inside her haori and withdrew her phone. "I spent an hour going through my voice mails the other day… almost all of them were from Ishi-nii and Urahara-sensei, and while they have not explicitly elaborated on some trouble, I cannot assume that they only wish to check up on me. Renji-san…" A pair of imploring eyes locked on him for a moment. "You are a vice captain, so surely, you must hear more than I do. Tell me, is there anything going on in the human world that I should know about?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know… hollow activity, or… just something."

"You make it sound like something's gotta be wrong."

"Demo Renji-sa…" The remainder of her sentence became lost when his hand once more fell to her head, this time more gently and with less forceful reassurance. His expression was almost unreadable; try as she might as she stared into his eyes and analyzed every facet of light in them, she could not decide what exactly he was trying to convey. _He's smiling, so he must be happy… iie… he almost looks sad. I can see a trace of pity, and a trace of mistrust. Everything else is just… muddled. What is he trying to tell me?_

"Why did you lie to him?"

"I do not know what you mean," Haru responded.

"You can deny it all you want… I can see it. You have a bankai."

"I have already been through this," she said irately. "I will tell you what I have told Byakuya-sama: there is no way for me to reach it."

"Then you're gonna have a hell of a time surpassing the sun." Haru whimpered as the hand on her head suddenly became heavy again. "You're still way too short."

"Renji-san… please…"

"I can understand you lying to me and being vague and all that fancy shit. What I can't understand is why you still feel like you've gotta protect yourself around him, even after everything he's done for you."

"I'm telling you, I don't…" It was a struggle to speak with the pressure on her head, and when it was suddenly alleviated, she gazed questioningly at the redhead as he turned away and locked his hands behind his head. She wavered on the cusp of indecision before finally darting forward to walk beside him, her hands folded and hanging as if they missed the sword that usually lingered between them. "May I ask you something, Renji-san?"

"Shoot," he responded.

"Is there any particular reason you drug me out and left without Byakuya-sama's consent? It is a workday, you know."

"I just got the vibe that he needed to think a little. He can't do that with either of us there. I irritate the hell out of him, and you're… well, you're a distraction and a half since he's so damn concerned about you."

"Gomenasai… I do not mean to be troublesome…"

"Hey, it's really no trouble at all. And cut the formal shit, will you?" Renji raised a brow as Haru swiftly bent her head in apology. With a forlorn and defeated sigh, he shook his head and turned in the direction they originally came from. "Come on."

"Are we… going back?"

"I reckon we've given him enough time by himself. Besides, he's liable to have a conniption if you're out of his sight for too long."

"Is that so?" Haru inquired, this time in a more cheerful tone.

"Either that, or he'd get bored to death because I'm not there to keep him on his toes." A light and airy melody followed on the heels of his comment, one that bewildered Renji into pausing and turning once more to observe his victim. Her face was flushed with elation, her eyes shining radiantly behind her glasses, and an amused laughter spilt forth from her mouth, which she desperately tried to quell with her hand. Finding it impossible to do so, she gave in to her body's demands, leaning against a wall as she desperately tried to compose herself despite the burning ache in her sides. "Was it really that funny?"

"Iie… it's just…" When her breath was spent at last, she raised her head, pulling her glasses away to wipe the tears that had gathered in her eyes away. "It has been a long time since I have been comfortable enough to laugh like that." Intrigued by her comment, Renji watched as she straightened the two loose tresses of her nutmeg hair and proceeded to clean her glasses, giving her own movements her full attention. Once she was finished, Haru replaced her glasses, and after making one final adjustment, proceeded forward. "Is something the matter, Renji-san?"

"Just wondering why the hell you still wear those things," he commented, pausing briefly in his steps as he raised a hand to his chin. "Come to think of it, you said you'd tell me why last week if I worked hard, but you never did."

"Gomen… I suppose I overlooked it, but considering the pressure I was under, do you really blame me?" For once, his response was silent as they paced decisively in their direction. "To be honest with you, these eyes have caused me a lot of problems. For one thing, they are oddly colored; I have never met another with eyes quite like mine. Okasan's were solid violet, and Otousan's were a muted shade of silver, but in the right light, they took on some sort of vibrant blue hue that has no name. I wound up with a perfect blend of the two at the end of things; they are neither violet nor silver but somewhere in between, and they are constantly altering their appearance, if you have not noticed."

"I've noticed a little," he confessed, recalling the day of Shimori's death and how concentrated the silver was. The mere recollection of it made him wonder which of the two nobles was more stoic, for while Haru appeared to completely and totally embrace her emotions at the moment, there were times such as those when her rejection of them seemed to rival that of the Kuchiki heir.

"I have also learned, by degrees, that if I tilt my head just right, whatever light that fills the sky will refract off of the lenses, so in a moment where emotion is in appropriate and I find myself feeling, I simply need to position my head in such a manner to conceal them. So, they simply serve as a barrier between myself and the world around me." For some reason, Renji looked a little disappointed at the answer she provided. A wry look of contempt flashed across his face before disappearing again. "Is something the matter?"

"Betsuni… just wondering why you still wear them around me and taichou if they're meant for you to hide behind."

"There are some things I still wish to hide from him. That is all," Haru responded. "I hope you do not take offense to it, Renji-san… I just learned early the disadvantages of getting close to the things and people you care about." She should have been more dismal in speaking those words, but the joy lingered so potently that her expression did not change in the least, though he did note that her eyes darkened slightly. He would have asked what the danger was, but he knew all too well from his life in Rukongai what the price was. His mind acted on its own, and he started wondering the extent of the secrets she still kept. He silently questioned how she came to learn the stark realities of life, how she came to such emotional maturity, at such a tender age. As these inquiries invaded his thoughts, he let a frustrated growl escape him, drawing that violet gaze from their path and to his face.

"Damn it, you make me think too much."

"Nani? Are you not a big fan of thinking?" His expression switched from irritation to anger in a split second, goading a slight laugh out of her. "Do not take offense to it, Renji-san… if you think I am insulting your intelligence, then you are mistaken. While you are somewhat more impulsive than either Byakuya-sama or myself, I prefer to think you have your own brand of wit that is beyond our understanding."

"So you're sayin' I'm smart?"

"In your own way," Haru added.

"Shit… you're one crazy kid," he murmured after a moment of silence.

"I do not understand, Renji-san… why do you sound so offended?"

"I'm not. Just…" He paused again, rubbing the back of his neck, locking his eyes on the familiar building that drifted back into sight. Sensing the violet eyes lingering on him, he turned to her with a bashful yet disapproving scowl. "The hell are you still looking at me for? It's distracting! Quit it!" The smile faded from her face, but she didn't look away. Her eyes filled with questions as she silently analyzed him, the motivation behind his comments falling far from her line of understanding. Her head tilted to the left slightly for a moment before straightening it. Then, with her hands folded and her head bent in silent apology, she proceeded forward. For a moment, he fought with his words, but as usual, in situations like that, it was a battle he quickly lost. He settled for following her as silently as her shadow while he contemplated the meaning that lingered behind it all. Realizing that she had, again, forced him to use his brain, he cursed under his breath and slid into the sanctuary of his office. Before peace could settle in, he glanced up at the door he intended on hiding behind only to find Haru standing in its frame.

"Renji-san… ano…" Her hands worked the air for a moment as if gathering courage. "Do you know… if Byakuya-sama had somewhere to be today?"

"I'm his vice captain, not his secretary," Renji retorted. "What kind of question is that, anyway?"

"Well… the only reason I asked is because… Byakuya-sama seems to have gone somewhere while we were absent." In a manner that was particularly unlike Renji, he threw his eyes at the form in front of him, trying to appear as indifferent and clueless as possible. "Renji-san…"

"How the hell should I know where he went?" he demanded in a sharp tone that made Haru straighten her shoulders. "Get back to work."

"H—hai!" And with that, the door slammed shut, cutting him loudly off from the rest of the world and leaving him with a false peace. There were already so many mysteries he wanted to ruminate over, most of them concerning the young girl and her strange mannerisms. Her earlier words bordered lunacy and sacrilege, escaping explanation altogether. Byakuya's absence only gave him one more thing to think about.

* * *

_The memory has to be honored. _He traipsed through the empty halls of his manor with an air of purpose and dignity. Twice, he passed his servants, who, in their usual bumbling vociferous manners asked him if he needed anything. He answered both in the negative, adding that all he really needed was a moment alone, and continued on his way. After a lengthy stretch of hall, he pushed the door of his choosing open gently, crossing the threshold and closing off the world behind him. A nostalgic sigh worked its way out of his lungs as he turned to face the shrine. While Haru was a considerable distraction from the loneliness he endured for fifty years, Byakuya still made it a point to visit that room at least four days out of the seven filling the week. His hakama rustled as he paced across the floorboards and pulled the cabinet open, unveiling a picture of his deceased wife smiling gently out at him.

"Hisana…" he murmured, his typically stoic eyes glazing over with a doleful and familiar light, as if he wished the woman in the picture would spring to life and reassure him somehow with a word or gesture. "Forgive me… for my lack of visits lately. Things… have been happening." His words flooded the emptiness of the room before vanishing into a soundless void. He wavered on the cusp of doubt a moment, but he was pulled back by the memory of another's hands, which clutched helplessly at the front of his uniform while she pleaded with him for aid. "Do you remember," Byakuya said as if Hisana was present to address, "when you told me it was all right to move on if anything ever happened to you? I was so taken aback by the very prospect that I just clung to you and wished I never had to let go. That was before you couldn't walk anymore, before you lost all strength save that to hold my hand, before you collapsed for the first time… yet you seemed to know what we had would not endure. You were delicate like a plum blossom, destined to bloom only for a short time before wilting and leaving an empty void in my life, yet still… you left a seed of hope, a final task you wanted me to accomplish, and I have done that."

Byakuya locked his eyes on those peering out of the frame. They hadn't changed a bit, but his way of perceiving them had. While they were still comforting, they also possessed a glint of appreciation in them for the pains he took in speaking. Sighing with difficulty, he leaned against the cabinet and bowed his head slightly. "Rukia is doing well… she is very hearty despite her somewhat frail appearance. Everyday, she reminds me a little more of you, but the love I have for her is nothing like that I have for you. It is the love a brother has for a sister, the sort that makes one wish to protect her from the unscrupulous eyes of men." For a moment, she flashed in his mind again, smiling while her own nominal brother chided her for being so reckless as to challenge her host's speed for a mere pair of glasses she didn't seem to need. His grip on the cabinet doors tightened, and his hand trembled slightly at the increased pressure. "But her…"

For a moment, his words stilled in his throat and would not obey the command to come. They clung with unforeseen tenacity like an irremovable plaque. Realizing he had wavered, Byakuya bent his head even lower as an embittered smile crept across his expression, for wavering was not the only thing he had come to realize in his time there. An epiphany so ludicrous that it shattered his usual icy façade into dust and scattered it on the metaphorical winds of his reason had pushed its way into his conscious thought, pleading to be heard, recognized, understood, and embraced. The memory of her smile flashed through his mind again, potent yet gentle. "It was not supposed to be this way, Hisana… she was only supposed to be a temporary guest in this house, a slight disruption of my routine worth overlooking. Instead, she has completely altered it, and in the process, she has somehow changed me as well. While I will always cherish your memory, Hisana, I cannot… try as I may, I cannot…"

When at last he took his eyes off the ground, they were alive and teeming with sentiments. The stoic grimace now possessed an untold amount of determination, and through his obsidian optics, there flickered another memory of her. "A lotus…" he confessed. "A lotus… has bloomed in the garden of my heart, once empty, now full…" It sounded even more ludicrous now that he had declared it in verse, and to a portrait of his dead wife, no less. Still, the chains of remorse were kept away by a strong feeling of liberation. Somehow, he felt Hisana would not object to it, even if it was wrong. The age difference, the class, the impurity of her blood… there were a hundred other reasons it was wrong, yet they were all irrelevant. "I cannot lose her. I cannot just sit back and watch as she is uprooted and shut in a room where she cannot aim for the sun, or worse still, denied the right to aim altogether."

It was clear to him now, what he had to do. The vibrancy in his eyes lingered for a moment as he found his emotional restraint and locked his sentiments away. "I must go," Byakuya concluded, shutting the cabinet and turning away, his scarf licking at the air behind him. He crossed the room with that same air of grace and dignity, hesitating at the threshold as he glimpsed the cabinet over his shoulder. He left the empty room with one last imploration before letting his determination carry him away. "Farewell, Hisana. Give me strength… strength enough to hold onto the wrong that makes my life so right."

* * *

Byakuya was surprisingly quiet at dinner that evening. Furthermore, he seemed to look rather weary despite having spent only half a day in his office. As for the paperwork, Renji and Haru dutifully continued their work despite his absence with a conviction that he would not leave unless something important came up. She sipped her tea thoughtfully and gazed at him through the mist, trying vainly to see past that stoic mask to whatever lay beyond. Unfortunately, her glasses quickly became as fogged as his eyes were. Once the tea was away from her line of sight, the lenses cleared, but Byakuya's gaze remained the same. "Byakuya-sama?"

"Nandesuka?" he inquired after a lengthy silence. Clearly, his focus was somewhere other than on dinner. Haru bowed her head momentarily, jabbing at a piece of meat with her chopsticks.

"It's nothing." She expected, at the very least, an accusation that she was lying, but when no such accusation came, Haru peered critically at him again. His distance was discouraging, and Haru, swirling her tea in its cup, finally settled on gazing at her plate. Speaking to a wall would have been more productive considering that the wall could not drift farther away, physically or mentally. Nonetheless, she made the most of her meal, eating with delicate poise and an underlying vigor. She alleviated most of her anxiety and frustration with periodic sighs, which her host failed entirely to notice. _Thankfully, he is too busy thinking to pay any attention to me. This mood of mine would certainly trouble him no less than his own has troubled me. _It was a reassuring consideration, but its affects lacked endurance and potency. With another sigh, Haru proceeded to finish her meal, peering occasionally at the stoic captain and witnessing virtually no change in his expression. "Gochisou sama deshita," she stated, clapping her hands together before rising. Unaware that his eyes followed her, Haru paced towards the door, keeping her zanpakutoh in one hand and sliding the exit open with the other. "I'm going to take my bath now, all right?"

His eyes were still distant, blank slate. Shaking her head, she took one step out and proceeded down the hall only to be seized from behind after several steps. A sharp gasp echoed through the hall, as did the sound of a wooden sword leaping free of its holder and descending to the ground. "Bya… Byakuya-sama…" she managed, squirming as the arms around her tightened.

"Do not leave me," he murmured in a tone that was very uncharacteristic of him. Haru raised her eyes and peered tentatively over her shoulder at the noble, who above all else seemed unwilling to release her. If Haru had been forced to label it, she would have hesitatingly called it a plea. "Do not leave me."

"I won't, I won't…" she reassured him. "But I really should take my bath, and I do believe it is not orthodox in the least to have you accompanying me."

"Then I shall sit outside the door until you are finished."

"Nani?" Haru finally managed to squirm free for the sake of collecting her sword, which fumed faintly with indignation at having been so unexpectedly cast aside. "What in heaven's name has gotten into you, Kuchiki Byakuya? I do not recall an instance when you have been quite this eager to spend time with me." His sapphire optics were heavy, and laden with a burden he was not quite willing to share that drew a puzzled sigh from Haru as she turned away from him. She could no longer stand the look he was giving her, not because it annoyed her but because it stirred up a forgotten yet familiar trepidation. As soon as she moved to step forward again, she felt the gentle pressure of his hand on her wrist, drawing her to a full stop for the second time that evening. She failed to keep from tensing up when he nuzzled the back of her neck and shifted so his mouth was against her ear.

"Onegai," he whispered, dropping his head and sighing against her neck. More than anything, she was bewildered at the word slipping from his lips. Even the very manner was enough to drive her beyond rational thinking for a moment, but she composed herself quickly enough for Byakuya to overlook it. Meanwhile, she silently analyzed all the peculiar conditions that had suddenly overcome her host. His chest was flush with her back, his breathing controlled yet hesitant, and, dare she think it? There was no doubt in her mind that, this time, he was actually trembling. A million questions swam languidly through her mind, mingling with the haze of contentment that already possessed her, and they were all contained by her resolve to refrain from spoiling the moment.

"Very well," she said. "I will let you sit outside the door, but I must warn you, if you try coming in, I am liable to crack your skull open." A silvery eye wandered over her shoulder, questioning the traces of helplessness in his one visible eye, the other having disappeared behind his obsidian locks. With her hand still enclosed in his own, she pulled him forward before he finally stepped beside her. His silence was unsettling, but Haru had known him long enough that words were not something they needed to communicate. The warmth of his palm against her own, the feeling of his fingers slipping between hers, even the manner in which he occasionally glanced her way, blushing slightly before averting his eyes, spoke volumes of his condition that words could never express.

As promised, Byakuya left her at the door, kneeling outside of it with indifference at the floor's comfort. The silence lingered far longer than he would have liked, and it was so absolute that every rustle of clothing being shed behind that door filled his ears, made his heart pound faster, and caused his throat to tighten. He felt his face ignite when the sound of water striking the tile crept under the door. At the very least, the motions sounded casual and unrestrained by his presence. "Byakuya-sama?"

"Hai?" he responded, startled at the sudden shattering of quietude.

"Did something happen today?" All movement stopped for a moment as, behind the door, Haru waited for an answer. She couldn't ask him when gazing at his expression; she feared it would hurt him too much. Now that there was a barrier separating them, she was less strict in choosing the words she spoke and the words she refrained.

"You happened." If she had been moving at that point, her actions would have stilled. Nonetheless, her breath hitched in surprise as she cast her silvery eyes through a curtain of mist and back at the door to make sure he was still on the other side.

"I am unsure of what you mean."

"The meaning is not relevant." Frowning at his obstinacy, Haru continued her task, this time a little more soberly than before.

"May I… ask you something?"

"You just asked if you could ask me something, so you already have."

"Very funny," she retorted with a slight laugh. "Will you permit me to ask you… exactly where you went today?" Lifting his head at the inquiry, Byakuya gazed at the door that separated them before shifting so his back was against it.

"Is it important?"

"Renji-san was rather furious that he was stuck doing all the paperwork, and I…" Hearing the hesitance in her voice, Byakuya anticipated that she would bite off the rest of her sentence.

"You?" he pressed.

"I was… worried." Sweet silence followed her comment as opposed to the usual chiding she received at the mere mention of the word. Feeling that, for once, he accepted her concern, Haru swallowed her hesitance and continued speaking as she worked a lather along the length of her nutmeg hair. "It is not typical for you to abandon your duties as a captain, no more than it is to leave the paperwork to your vice captain. While I will say that it was no problem for the two of us to complete the task save those forms which only you are qualified to deal with, I confess that your absence had Renji-san and myself somewhat vexed."

"Perhaps I was merely frustrated that my vice captain would abandon his duties, and while he was at it, drag my voluntary aide along with him."

"Renji-san meant no harm; he said it was his conviction that you needed some time to think. That is the only reason he left."

"Was it?" The resentment in his tone was unbearably clear, and potent to the level of stilling Haru's hand. "There is something you need to understand about the sixth division, Haru-kun. I, being a noble and a captain, am elevated above them in status, whereas Renji is one of them. He immerses himself in their daily tribulations, and he takes even the most menial tasks with enough complaints to test even my patience, which makes them look to him even more. When it comes to fighting, they know, as I do, that they can rely on him to finish the job. Do you understand, Haru-kun?"

"Not at all," she responded, and since the confusion was so earnest in her voice, he willingly explained himself.

"There is necessarily a line separating me from the members of my division, a line born out of only nature's desires, or if desire is too strong a word, then nature's order. It is simply the way things are. I am certain that many of them admire Renji for his loyalty and dependability. As for myself, I have long been in doubt about whether I deserve such things, since at the time of Rukia's execution, I was fighting to have her killed harder than anyone in Soul Society, and with the possible exception of Kurosaki Ichigo, Renji was trying harder than anyone to save her. He tried to the point of provoking me into bankai. He outwardly rebelled against my orders and desires. For that, the members of my division look up to him. He is the hero, and I, being the obstacle that stood in his path, was given the role of villain."

Byakuya paused for a moment, realizing he had spoken so long, he was no longer certain as to whether or not Haru was still listening. Nevertheless, he considered it enough relief to simply speak, whether to the empty halls or to the girl on the other side of the door. "Ultimately, it was I that saved her, and I almost lost my life doing it. They never forgot my hesitance, nor did they fail to recall my defeat at the hands of a mere ryoka. So linger the remnants of my weakness and indecision." Listening closely, he heard nothing but stillness from Haru's side of the door. For a moment, he imagined a rustle of some sort, but it became evident to Byakuya that, over the pounding of his own heart and the sound of his emotions whirling in his ears, he was hardly capable of hearing rational thought. "I would like to think that the situation with Rukia has taught me something important. It was a mistake to let things get as far as they did with her execution, a mistake that I could not see repeated. That is why…"

His words were cut off by the motion of the door at his back. Startled and without thought, he whirled around and glanced up at Haru. He couldn't help but admire how she looked in white, her smooth skin generating a gentle contrast, her moist nutmeg locks hanging towards the floor, and, for the first time in a long time, her face alight with a genuine smile. Her silvery eyes peered luminously at him for a moment, then disappeared behind a curtain of hair as she threw her head down. "Gomenasai," she murmured. "I have made you suffer… please forgive me." There was a slight rustle as Byakuya rose to his feet and pressed a palm to the side of her face.

"Haru-kun." Try as he may, he could not tell which of them trembled. For a moment, it felt like his hand, yet after another, it felt as if she restrained the quavering that threatened to envelop her entire frame. Gingerly, he worked that hand beneath her chin, pushing it upward to allow his hungry gaze the freedom to get lost in her own. Even those eyes startled him: the clarity, the luminosity, the power of those emotions all swept his reason farther away. Drawn in by them, he paused when their foreheads touched, at which point his midnight eyes bore deeply into hers. "I would suffer far more in your absence, Haru-kun." She did not quake at the words. She only knew that in his close proximity, the breath of every word he spoke struck her lips and made them tingle with longing.

As expected, the ever respectable Byakuya pulled back, allowing his hand to slide along her neck. His fingers found one tress of her hair, and down they raced until they came to its end. It was difficult to turn away from her, but Byakuya somehow managed the task. His hand, of its own accord, reached back through the empty air and sought Haru's. After a few moments, her warm palm pressed against his, and she followed him dutifully towards his chambers. Upon arriving, Byakuya worked his hand out of her grasp, giving her a glance that carried an all too clear order to remain before pacing slowly down the hall.

"Will you be all right alone?" Haru asked softly.

"I will manage," he responded. Nodding her ascent, Haru entered the darkness of his bedroom and placed her zanpakutoh in a corner, and after setting the restraint for her hair and her glasses near her side of the futon, she sprawled out on her stomach, burying her face in her pillow as she ruminated.

_It smells like him, _she thought. _Even though I have been sleeping on it for a month now, it still carries his scent. _Haru's eyes flashed beneath the light of the moon as she gazed in its direction. _I think… if I were to choose something to drown myself in, this feeling would be it. What should I call it? _A smile worked over her expression as she recalled asking a similar question of her host in the youth of her stay about a similar feeling, but it had changed since then. She couldn't even say how it had, since it felt almost identical. All Haru knew was that some alteration had taken place in it, and had a label been found for that feeling several weeks before, it would at present be entirely inapplicable despite the semblance of the two sentiments. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment before she peered at the moon through her lashes again. _If ever there comes an end to this, it will take an eternity compared to how long I have lived. It takes fifteen years for some to get this far, and I have done so in a month._

A gentle rustle broke the silence as she moved onto her side, allowing her eyes to fall shut again. Other than that small pause in her thoughts, Haru's mind continued its work, but soon all her thoughts ran together in an incoherent, inseparable mass. At some point, she must have drifted off briefly, only to be awakened by the sound of the door opening. She remained stationary until his footsteps drifted over to her, and his shadow blocked the light of the moon, at which point, she opened one eye and gazed up at him. From her position, a shadow loomed over Byakuya's eyes, making his gaze unreadable. Bewildered, she sat up and rubbed the sleep away, observing him in silence as he sat before her and smoothed his charcoal gray sleeping kimono. "Did I wake you?" he asked softly.

"Iie," Haru responded with a smile. "I was just… resting my eyes a bit." Somehow, he seemed a little less stoic than usual. He observed her for a moment before allowing a slight smile to creep over his lips. "What are you thinking about?"

"I was merely admiring." To verify the truth in his comment, he took a lock of her hair between his fingers and worked it between them. Despite their color, the nutmeg tresses flowed like water under his touch and shimmered with a vibrancy that rivaled a moonlit ocean. Her eyes, two silvery-violet pools through which countless emotions swam, regarded him with complete and total trust.

"You certainly do 'admire' a lot."

"Perhaps because there is so much to marvel at." A slight frown worked its way over her expression, and for a moment, she bowed her head while she gathered her words. When her eyes flashed up at him again, they seemed darker than they had previously.

"Are you certain something is not the matter?"

"What would make you say that?" Byakuya inquired.

"You are being awfully direct with me tonight. Usually, you are not nearly half this…" She paused, looked helplessly at her host, and crossed her arms irately. "Hell, I don't know the right word for it." Byakuya's fingers abandoned her hair, and a serious look came over his eyes, almost as if he was quarreling with himself again. When his fingers brushed against her cheek, there was no doubt in her mind that they were trembling. Nonetheless, she tilted her head to gain more contact with his hand, which the nobleman gladly granted her.

"Impassioned."

"Come again?" Haru inquired, shooting him a look of disbelief that drew amusement to the midnight eyes. Her gaze wandered for a moment to the opening in his sleeping kimono. One glimpse of his ivory skin was enough to choke any further comments expressing her bewilderment. When those fingers brushed against her lips briefly, the gasp caught in her throat but escaped when they trailed gently beneath her chin and down her neck.

"The word you are looking for is impassioned, is it not?" Before Haru could fully consider it, Byakuya was busy admiring again, this time with his fingers. "We nobles possess emotions but must never act on them. Today is the first day in a long time that I have allowed myself that privilege."

"I am unsure of what you mean," she managed, clenching her fists around the blankets as his fingers gently coaxed her kimono aside to grant them access to the flesh of her shoulder. It took all the effort she possessed to keep from crying out at the sensation. Seeing her like that nearly drove Byakuya wild, for it was clear by the resolution in her eyes that she was still restraining herself. Haru's eyes flew open when a lock of hair brushed against her shoulder, one that was too short to be her own. All at once, his head fell upon it heavily and with enough force to push her onto her back. Other than a slight breath of air that escaped her lungs, the only sound in the room was the slightest rustle of a wind in the trees. His lips pressed against her shoulder for a moment, but an inevitable man of propriety, Byakuya seemed to settle for simply resting his face against it, moving his hand towards her neck in order to scrutinize the contrast between his skin tone and hers. "You… are heavy," she murmured, shifting beneath his weight until she felt more comfortable.

"Haru-kun, can I stay like this?"

"If I said no, would you move?"

"It is unlikely," Byakuya murmured, sighing heavily against her neck. A slight laugh jarred Byakuya nearly to the point of removing himself, but the feeling of a hand pressing his unruly hair behind his ear made him rethink it. His eyes fluttered close, his lashes brushing against her skin and causing her to tense for a moment. Once she relaxed again, she peered down at him, running a gentle and no longer hesitant hand over his hair. He made a sound of appreciation at the sensation, shifting in a way that caused Haru to tense again. "Daijoubu desu ka?"

"Hai," she reassured him. "It is only the aches and pains of sparring with you coming back to haunt me. I swear, you are rougher with me than sensei ever was… and couldn't you at least let me win on occasion? You're killing my pride, Kuchiki Byakuya."

"Someone once told me there is no pride in partial victory, and no victory in partial effort. You are going to have to work harder for it, Haru-kun."

"Be careful that you do not inadvertently make me stronger than yourself."

"In some respects, you already are." Haru stirred at his words, and with nothing more than a slight shift in his own weight, Byakuya stilled her. He was looking at her in a manner that hardly suited him, one that affected her even more when he moved so that his arms were on either side of her shoulders and his chest was lingering just above her own. Haru caught herself gasping and held her breath, examining her host with half-lidded eyes as he leaned closer. "For instance, you have suffered so much pain in your life, but you can still smile."

"It is nothing, really…"

"Very well, then… another example," he continued, leaning closer. "You have at your command an incomparable arsenal of techniques with variety that would cause most either fear or envy, and one such technique can overcome paralysis in its various forms."

"Most do not consider variety a measure of strength," she pointed out, shifting slightly as those midnight eyes again moved closer to her own.

"Then I shall give another." The words were delivered in the same tone that made her knees weak and somehow managed to drive every conscious thought from her mind. Her body started moving on its own despite its complete and total lack of strength at the moment. She shifted her legs so they were more comfortable and wound her arms around his neck, hoping to pull him closer but finding she had absolutely no reason to. "Having been abandoned by the quincy family of your father and betrayed by the shinigami captain that killed your mother, you still have enough of a heart left to trust."

"Is… that really a type of strength, Byakuya-sama?"

"Strength does not manifest itself in just fighting, Haru-kun. It is manifest in everything we do. For instance, my restraint in this moment could be considered a form of strength, just as your smile could also be deemed as such."

"Then giving into temptation…" She tugged on his neck slightly, silently imploring him to move closer. A flicker of bewilderment raced across his eyes, then passed from existence. When he was close enough to feel Haru's breath on his lips, she murmured in a soft voice, "would that then be a form of weakness?" Complete and total awe overtook her as his face broke into a smile free of restraint. Her cheeks flushed with admiration at the picture of happiness lingering just above her, for Haru could not recall a moment when he looked so appealing to her.

A tentative finger dragged itself along, scattering her astonishment with ease. Haru began to speak, but before she could, his mouth pressed against her own. As was the case with his smile, there was no restraint in his kiss, flooding Haru's mind with nothing more than a faint recognition of the white hot passion racing through her body. Time did things she was not aware it could do. All at once, it seemed to race forward and backward at an immeasurable speed, yet at the same time, it felt as if time would not dare move, that his ministration would endure for eternity. She felt that same digit drag lazily along her neck and along her shoulder as his full weight came to rest on her. Free of the usual self-imposed restraint, he allowed his lips to travel along her jaw line, relishing every gasp and incoherent word that ever filled her mouth.

"Ma… matte…" she managed as his lips reached the place where her neck met her shoulder. Ever obedient to her words, Byakuya ceased his ministrations and glanced up at a breathless Haru, whose reason even now seemed to melt beneath his touch. Still, there was an absoluteness in the word, one that she seemed to be unaware of herself, and after gently placing a kiss on her forehead, he placed is back firmly against the futon while he gazed at the ceiling.

"Do you see now the strength you possess? You can quell my desires, even in a state where you are the only thing I want, and with a single word of protest, no less." Sitting up, Haru readjusted her kimono, evading Byakuya at all costs. The redness in her cheeks had not even begun to wane.

"I was not protesting."

"Then why did you make me stop?" he asked.

"Had I not, then we both would have lost control." She seemed to choose her words carefully, and by then, he had taken notice of her purposeful evasion. Byakuya considered the risk for a moment, then swiftly pulled her down beside him, drawing a slight cry of surprise from the normally composed Haru.

"A Haru without restraint… that is something I do believe I would like to see." Fear crept over her gaze for a moment but waned when his cool fingers brushed against her cheek. The passion in his eyes, as opposed to that of a moment earlier, was chaste in nature and adhered to the boundaries of his propriety as if they were absolute, inflexible lines. "Despite my curiosity, I would never forcibly drive you to such a point. I sincerely hope you believe me, Haru-kun." Without waiting for an answer, the Kuchiki descended, this time turning towards his guest and attempting to read a silent response in her eyes. Still far from having regained the entirety of her rational thought, Haru turned her face to him.

"Byakuya-sama?"

"Hmm?"

"Would it be all right…" She bit off the rest of her sentence for a moment, and a supposition that he had been too giving of his feelings for her swept all optimism from his mind. Seeing the discomforting change in him, Haru reassured her host with one sweep of her hand, which pushed the rebellious obsidian locks away from his face and walked slowly down his neck. Byakuya's eyes fell shut as he relished the sensation and waited for the girl to finish her sentence. "Would it be all right… if I moved closer?" He almost demanded why she was asking such an inane question, but he thought better of it and settled for finding the reason in his own memory. Come to think of it, they had been sleeping farther apart than usual, simply to avoid causing Haru any discomfort. Byakuya was nearly ready to give an answer when the familiar sensation of Haru nuzzling his chest disrupted his formulation of a response.

"Baka," he muttered. "If you are going to ask a question, at least wait for the answer."

"Let's be honest, Byakuya-sama… you had no objections." A weary yawn escaped Haru as she busied herself with finding a comfortable position. She shifted against him for a moment before resting her head on his left arm and closing a hand around his sleeping kimono. As in times past, Byakuya marveled at just how peaceful she looked when she was drifting off to sleep. "Oyasuminasai, Byakuya-sama," she murmured softly, making one last alteration to her position before falling still. A smile crept over her face as his other hand drifted over the back of her head.

"Oyasuminasai, Haru-kun," he answered. Consciousness fell away from Haru almost immediately after, and she did not stir until she felt Byakuya move. Even then, she remained far from waking until he began to call her name and shake her shoulder with the ginger hesitance she would expect from one whose first task was to shatter her peace in the early hours of the morning. When at last her eyes opened, she found it to be at least an hour earlier than the usual time. Blinking as if she was lost, Haru closed them again, but the hand grasping her shoulder persisted, and she groaned a protest before rolling over and throwing the covers over her head. "Haru-kun…"

"I've still got an hour… let me sleep for heaven's sake… I'm not made of energy like you are…" At last, the enemy was vanquished, or so she thought until she felt herself being lifted into a sitting position by Byakuya's skilled hands. Resentfully, she emerged, her hair flying in all directions as one vehement violet eye delivered a well-aimed blow to his conscience. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you even know what time it is? I swear to the gods, once I'm fully awake, I'm cracking your damn skull open." Byakuya's eyes fell shut, and his brows fell together as he tried to decipher her words, which had slurred together as if their night had been spent drinking sake rather than sleeping. He grasped "time," "fully awake," and something about cracking a skull; that alone was enough to convey her message. Still, when her head fell against his shoulder again, Byakuya smoothed the hair out of her face while his other hand splayed against her back, which in turn caused Haru to throw herself against his chest for protection.

"Forgive me, Haru-kun… I hate to wake you this early, but…" The iciness in his tone was enough of a shock to drive a wedge between Haru and sleep. Resentfully, she shook her head and stretched to put unconsciousness at bay. Then, she rubbed her eyes and fixed the clear silvery orbs on her host. Even in darkness, she could see the trepidation etched into his expression. A familiar ring made its way into her ears, one whose source she did not at first gather. Then, in the darkness, she saw it drifting beside him, flapping its wings and tinkling impatiently.

"A hell butterfly?" With a tentative hand, she reached out to it, and after fluttering its wings a few more times, it finally landed on her fingers. "Why is it here?"

"Yamashita Haru…" As if she were not conscious enough, the sound of her name chased all chances of getting back to sleep away. Her eyes grew grim at the sound of the voice, for it was one she could not easily forget, wizened and powerful as it was. "You are to report to my office as soon as you get this message for your official seating. Come alone and promptly. This hell butterfly will show you the way. That is all." Byakuya shifted his eyes to the girl, who looked rather bitter at having her sleep cut short. Nonetheless, she abandoned the warm sanctuary beneath the covers and began the usual fight with her hair.

"I don't care if he is the captain commander of Soul Society… I'm cracking his damn skull open the minute I find the energy to."

"I would not recommend it," Byakuya chided. "Besides, considering your heritage, the matter of you becoming a shinigami is rather precarious in itself." A furious pair of eyes flitted in his direction. Unhindered by her glasses, it inflicted a deep and serious wound of regret upon him, which Haru seemed not to sympathize in the least.

"I do not trust him, Byakuya-sama. If I have not contacted you by nine or ten in the morning, then assume the worst."

"The worst?"

"You are so quick to forget your superior's vow that I would either be banished or imprisoned because of my peculiar heritage. The way he said those words, and the way he acknowledged my nobility that day, was so condescending that the memory alone puts a bad taste in my mouth. At any rate, neither of us seem willing to accept a fate like that, even if it is passed down by him." Having finished arranging her hair, Haru crossed the room on airy steps and retrieved her zanpakutoh, racing towards the door but hesitating when her hand rested upon it. "After today… things will be different, won't they, Byakuya-sama?" He said nothing, nor did his expression alter. He simply gazed at her with that same icy look beneath which flowed his indiscernible emotions. "You do not need to answer; I already know. It is inevitable that things change with time, whether that time be a month or an eon. Things are always changing. Nothing can stay the same forever. I cannot fear it… not anymore."

A shadow crossed the room, coming to stand just behind Haru, who pressed her head against the door and wished once more for fatigue to smite her consciousness. Gingerly, he pushed his face against the back of her head, inhaling the clean scent of her hair and sighing contentedly against the side of her neck. Two arms wound around her waist, gentle yet unyielding. Instead of pulling away, Haru forgot her urgency and accepted his embrace, leaning her forehead against his cheek when his chin came to rest on her shoulder. "You will… come home tonight, won't you?" At those words, a strange feeling washed over Haru, much like nostalgia and anticipation, joy and sorrow, certainty and hesitance, all mingled together into a single sentiment. She felt a smile wash over her face just as the tears leapt free of her eyes.

"Baka…" she said softly. "What sort of question is that?" To affirm her answer, Haru twisted in his arms and fiercely pressed her lips against his own. Then, she fell away, still smiling but adamantly trying to dry her tears. It shouldn't have been surprising that another hand soon joined her own efforts, stealing gently across her cheek to wipe the wayward drop away.

"Either smile or cry, Haru-kun. Doing both at the same time is quite contradictory."

"Gomen," she responded. "I cannot help it. I'm just… so happy, and so grateful to you… words cannot describe it, nor can they express my thanks to you for all you have done."

"Then thank me with your actions," Byakuya said firmly. "Continue to be strong, regardless of the fate he has decided for you." Letting go of Haru came with more difficulty than he ever could have imagined, but with a set expression, he managed it and watched dolefully as she drifted out the door, disappearing behind it. Once he was certain of her absence, he paced back to his futon and collapsed upon it, heaving a sigh as he pressed his face against his pillow and gazed at the empty spot beside him through dark lashes. He heard her moving in the next room, putting on her uniform as if it were an ordinary day. When he heard his door slide open once more, he forced the tension from his body and stilled his breathing to a level that would fool her into thinking he was asleep. She left without discovering the truth of the matter, that Kuchiki Byakuya, the man with iron emotions, was suffering the unbearable sting of solitude and an anxiety that made hers pale in comparison.

_You have done all you can, _Senbonzakura reassured him. _It is in his hands now._

_Do not remind me, _he responded, curling into a ball as if to recoil from his zanpakutoh's words. Something shimmered in his eyesight, drawing his hand forward with curiosity. Upon closing around that object, he turned onto his back and raised them to the moonlight, allowing an amused smile to spread across his face. _She can be so careless, sometimes. I have to wonder… why she would leave them here. _

_Perhaps it is simply her way of telling you she will come back._

_That makes sense. _Turning the glasses, he peered through the lenses for a moment, curious that they did absolutely nothing to improve or distort his vision. Two thoughts simultaneously crossed his mind, causing his gaze to turn serious. The first was the realization that, while his hand had done all it could to alter Haru's fate, he had, in letting her go, freed her to meet her destiny. Thus, he was now powerless to sway it anymore than he had, if he had even swayed it at all. The second came from watching the starlight play on her glasses as they moved him. For the first time in a long time, neither his emotions nor his vision was clouded, and Byakuya was able to see things the way they were meant to be seen. While the immanent fate of Haru was sad, it also came as a relief to him, as if the day would bring some sort of closure.

Time crept by until the sun threw its first rays skyward, igniting the velvet into a fiery palette of reds, oranges, ceruleans, and violets. Only when darkness was gone could he bear to move or think. He sat up and pushed his hair away somberly, bowing his head under that weighty liberation. "Fly, Haru-kun," he said to the empty room, closing his hands around the only physical trace of her remaining. "Fly, and never stop aiming for the sun."

Now comes the tough part… me… on less than five hours of really crappy sleep… writing a Japanese lesson… forgive me for misspellings or missed words. X.X

* * *

Sumimasen : Excuse me

Demo : But

Hai : Yes

Arigato-gonzaimasu : Formal thanks

Ano : Japanese equivalent of "um."

Iie : No

Nande : Why

Kodomo : kid

Urusai : Shut up

Gomenasai : Formal apology

Gomen : Regular apology

Betsuni : Nothing

Nani : What

Nandesuka : What is it

Gochisou sama deshita : Thanks for the meal; said after eating

Onegai : Please

Daijoubu desu ka : Are you all right

Matte : Wait

Baka : Fool, Idiot, etc.

Oyasuminasai : Good night

Go figure… I feel like complete garbage, and I get stuck writing the longest Japanese lesson to date… oh well… I have class tonight, so I'd better rest up. I sincerely hope you all enjoyed the chapter (which, as requested, contained fluff), and I hope to see you all one last time before I pack up and ride off into the sunset… now, where did that horse wander off to?


	25. Chapter 25: Flight

The Final A/N: Cue the dramatic background music!

You came. You read. You commented. Alas, it is finally the end of this lovely little literary trek, and I can honestly say I've enjoyed every step of the way. You are all very wonderful readers, reviewers, and fans. I am happy to have received such a positive reception here and happier still that I created something that people have enjoyed reading. That is the biggest reward of all for an author, or for this author at least: to have a work well-received. Many thanks to you all from the bottom of my heart; you have enlivened my life just a little bit, and I hope that I have enlivened all of yours.

My most sincere apologies for keeping you waiting so long. I have, as some of you know, not been in the greatest health lately. Nonetheless, I feel it is important to give you all some sort of closure and thus continue to fight this stupid viral infection for the sake of doing just that. Then, yesterday, time kind of got away from me no thanks to class and socializing, so I apologize again and hope that this chapter is of high enough quality to make up for my procrastinating and my busy life. Thank you all for your patience, and without further ado, I close this final author's note with the sincere hope that you enjoy this, the final chapter.

* * *

_Chapter 25: Flight_

"But I was summoned here…" she protested as the guard again threw a glare in her direction. For some reason, Haru deemed them more unforgiving than the guards from a few days before. "Soutaichou-sama specifically instructed that upon getting the message, I come to his office immediately. Is this hell butterfly not sufficient evidence?"

"I'm sorry, but I was instructed not to let anyone past this point." A momentary wave of forlornness washed over her until she glanced at the hell butterfly again and reached a hand out to capture it. In its usual docile manner, it slipped between her hands and folded its wings, which swayed on occasion. Staring at it, she tried to discern whether or not it had something to say.

"Did I fail to mention," came Genryuusai's voice in a soft and determined tone, "that I would not notify the guards of your permission to enter? As a final challenge, you will just have to fight your way through."

"You asshole!" she shouted, drawing the attention of the two sentries. "What the hell is your deal? Do you think that's all I'm good for? Chikusho… I'm not a murderer or an assassin or a soldier… I'm just a shinigami. While I will not hesitate to fight when I have to, I cannot in good conscience turn my blade on someone loyal to the Gotei 13…" Having finished its task, the delicate black creature slipped out of her hands and fluttered towards the east, which was beginning to turn gray as the sun started to ascend. Her violet eyes wandered to the guards, who started at the expression on her face, the challenge in her posture, and the determination in her eyes. She walked forward, unfazed by the fact that their hands were now on their swords.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked calmly.

"It doesn't matter who you are. We were ordered not to let anyone pass."

"I am the nineteenth heir of the Yamashita clan, Yamashita Haru. I politely request that you grant me access, as otherwise, I will have to resort to methods other than diplomacy to enter."

"Never heard of the Yamashita clan… it isn't one of the Four Noble Families."

"It is not well-known in seireitei, but ask any quincy about the name, and they can verify its nobility." Haru stopped at a safe distance, concerned that one of them would take a strike should she move any further. They seemed puzzled by her words and by her enigmatic air of nobility as she stood and regarded them cautiously. "I ask you to move. I do not wish to force entry."

"As if you could get past us!" shouted the other, vaulting forward and drawing his sword.

"It can't be helped, I guess… please forgive me." The hold on her sword changed from docile to offensive, and forward she rushed without a second thought. By some miracle, the first guard's blade missed her; as penitence, she slammed her sword against his shoulder and kicked him away while weaving around the second and throwing herself at the door with enough force to break through.

"Come back here!" he shouted, but Haru had already flashed away, using shunpo to carry her forward. Instinct was all that guided her steps, and a feeling that it would be a little harder than inflicting a minor wound upon a single guard. Sure enough, when she rounded the next corner, a group of five blocked her path. They stared blankly at Haru for a moment as her violet eyes shifted to analyze her surroundings. Using shunpo, she ascended to the roof and raced along it until the edge of the building, at which point she leapt down and shoved one aside with her still sheathed zanpakutoh. The rest were stunned by a flash of golden mist that scurried about the walls and in the air.

_I'm taking a mental note that mizuhi, in select situations, can serve to stun my enemies as well as neutralize their kidou-based attacks._

_A wise decision, _Suzaku noted. _You never were the person to use a technique for only one purpose._

_Things exist for more than one reason, _she responded. _I have always felt that way. People have more than one destiny, more than one path. Mine leads towards the sun, towards a future here in Seireitei as a shinigami. I cannot stop now, not when I feel as if I am finally getting somewhere… _

Haru threw herself into a building and slammed the door behind her, flying forward on airy footsteps as she raced through the empty halls, keeping Suzaku handy in case she needed to use any more force to reach her destination. Upon coming to corners, she always stopped and peered around it, judging the safety of moving forward with tentative care before proceeding. _In the slim chance that I meet someone here, I will with draw and attempt to find an alternative route._ _If such an instance arises that I cannot get around one, I may have to resort to violence. _Pausing at the end of her current corridor, she glanced left, then right, then proceeded to round the corner, pacing on certain steps towards her destination. Something shifted behind her, drawing her progress to a halt and causing her to whirl around. Relieved that it was merely the echo of her sandals, which in her haste, she could not remove, on the wooden floor beneath her feet, she turned back to her path only to be thrown onto her stomach.

"Let me go!" she shouted, gritting her teeth and throwing her weight, but to no avail. Her face was pressed against the floor with more than sufficient force, and with one arm already locked behind her back, Haru found herself convinced that she could go no further. A faint growl of effort lodged itself in her throat as her remaining hand evaded capture. A knee dug into her back, drawing a strained cry from her lungs and a fiery rebellion to her eyes.

"Quit moving, and I'll be more gentle." Her mind blanked for an instant as his fingers closed around her wrist, but despite her position, Haru managed to draw away, throwing her hand backwards as she silently calculated whether or not the building would still stand if she used soukatsui on him.

"Bakudou no ichi," she managed, aiming her open palm towards him. "Sai!" Paralyzed by the kidou, he fell into a useless heap beside her as she gathered her sword and rose to her feet. "My apologies," she said gently, watching him struggle. "I cannot be hindered. It is imperative that I meet with Soutaichou-sama." Leaving her remorse behind, Haru shot forward again, carrying herself down the hallway with shunpo while the mark on her back tingled intensely. When she stopped, Haru found herself incredibly short of breath, more from the shock at being so roughly handled than anything. Her shoulder hurt from being thrown against the ground, and to ensure the absence of a bruise, she raised a hand to the side of her face. Fortunately, there was nothing of the sort, but the heavy feeling of being perceived as an enemy still lingered. She wrapped her arms around her waist in defense and slumped against the wall for a moment, loosening her haori until it slid off of her shoulders to reveal the white layer underneath. She kept it tucked into her obi, not wanting to leave it behind, and after another moment's recovery, she allowed herself to rise.

Continuing was more difficult than she would have thought, now that she had a reason to be frightened. Haru's heart lurched at every sound, including her own footsteps. She always imagined another pair accompanying hers. _I hope he does not take my lack of manners seriously. It is not like they gave me time to remove my sandals… perhaps if I ask him to forgive me, it will be looked upon as a minor offense. _She slid around the corner, a walking shadow holding her sword at the ready. Genryuusai's office was very close; she could already feel a trace of that incredibly powerful reiatsu. Turning her attentions to strategizing the remainder of her journey, Haru took a deep breath, held it for a few moments, and finally released it. _If I am fast enough, I will not be interrupted again. Do you think we can make it, Suzaku?_

_Doubtful._

_I like those odds, _she responded, allowing a smile to cross her face.

_Something told me you would._ Nothing more passed between them before Haru threw every ounce of her concentration into her speed. When she did note an approaching shinigami from her position, she simply flashed past him, leaving him standing and rubbing his head as if she was nothing more than an illusion carried by an inexplicable gust of wind. In this manner, she was able to reach his office, but upon laying her hand upon the door, Haru noted a pair of eyes watching her. She calmly turned to the shinigami as he bolted forward, stepping aside as she threw the door open, watching as he stumbled over the threshold, and proceeding to cross it herself. When he tried once more to attack Haru, she dodged his blade with minimal movements, and in one swing knocked him against the wall with enough force to scatter his ability to comprehend orders. One hand closed around his neck, applying more than sufficient pressure to jolt his composure and extract a desperate plea from him.

"Please… I don't want to die! I was only following orders!" When the empty silver eyes fixed on him, he lost all ability to speak. Then, to his amazement, and without a single word from his captain, who was casually watching his visitor with one open eye, she released him, at which point he collapsed and shuddered visibly as the faint golden aura surrounding her vanished.

"Please forgive my lack of manners, Soutaichou-sama," Haru said, motioning to her feet. "I really did not have much time to follow proper protocol. In my urgency, I overlooked it."

"As you should have. Manners are for times of peace, not times of war. Do not hesitate to cast them aside should a situation that commands it arise." Bowing in understanding, Haru, immediately set to work on unfastening them, watching always the captain out of one eye and the paralyzed shinigami from the other. "Tell me, how many of my squad members did you kill in coming here?"

"None."

"That is a lie."

"It is the truth," Haru argued, rising to her feet and glaring indignantly into his eyes. "My zanpakutoh remained sealed the entire time, and when it did come to blows, I avoided aiming for vital points. Furthermore, I stuck to low-level kidou and shunpo to help me escape. I killed no one; your squad members will verify it." Genryuusai studied her for a moment before glancing to the bewildered shinigami, who still hadn't moved after catching such a cold glimpse in Haru's eyes. Following his gaze, she fixed her eyes on her attacker again, this time with eyes clear of any ill intensions. "Gomen," she murmured, bowing her head. "I hope I did not frighten you too much… being unexpectedly given the role of villain does that to me. Are you hurt badly?" Still he neither moved nor spoke. His blank stare was fixed on one particular part of her, and once Haru realized what it was, she lifted her left wrist so the quincy cross caught the faint light in the room.

"Haru-dono." Ignoring Genryuusai's beckon, she closed her right hand around her sword and paced towards him, holding out a hand to help him up, which he gazed at as if it bore the black plague. A trace of sorrow raced across her eyes, but she did not relinquish her efforts. She moved her hand to reassure him and held it out again, watching as she tentatively outstretched it. It seized his wrist and with incredible strength pulled him to his feet despite the fact that he was at least a full head taller than she was.

"Can I ask you a favor?" When neither his gaze nor his voice denied her, she presented it to him. "I would like you to gather a report for me. Assess the extent of the damage I have caused, and return to me with a full report. Leave nothing out; that includes property. To make the job faster, you may enlist others in your division if you so desire."

"Who says I have to follow orders from you?"

"When did I say it was an order?" Haru inquired sternly. "I merely asked you to do it. If you refuse, then I shall do it myself once I am finished here." She remained stationary as he brushed past her, casting her one final fretful glare before disappearing behind the door and shutting it. Sighing again, Haru, wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Then, she turned her full attention to Genryuusai, who had been discretely studying her mannerisms throughout her interview with his squad member. "If you do not wish to believe I have not killed anyone in coming here, then I will prove it."

"I believe you." Doubt flashed in her eyes at the words, but she decided not to argue with him. Haru simply crossed the room and stood before him, her hands folded around her sword, her eyes free of any barrier. They soaked up the growing light of the sun and seemed to radiate brilliantly when she moved her face in the right direction. "Perhaps you have a few questions to ask me before we get down to business?"

"What would make you think that?" Haru retorted.

"You are the first in the history of Soul Society who has ever interrupted your exam to ask one of the examiners something. Surely, you must have some inquiries. I gave you four days to think about it." Haru adjusted the sword in her grip and took a few steps forward, bowing her head in consideration as she did so.

"For starters, I would like to know why you choose to see me as a threat even when I have given you no reason to, and don't you dare say my heritage is enough of a reason. My father was an honorable man, and my mother an honorable woman. While I am certain that shady things have taken place in the past of the Yamashita clan, he himself did nothing to upset soul society during his thirty-four year life."

"I do not see you as a threat."

"Then why did you say you did?" she cried in exasperation. "I spent almost five days ruminating over my grisly future and making plans to overturn it! How the hell could you say those things in that tone if you didn't think I was a threat?"

"I was testing you," Genryuusai responded calmly. "The exam did not end when we sat down to lunch, nor did it end when you rebelled against my orders. It has continued unbeknownst to you. I wanted to see your reaction to the threat of guiltless punishment. Knowing you would hold out if I asked you directly, I decided to create a situation in which you had no choice but to think it a genuine threat. I hope you have not suffered too much on account of it." Resentfully, Haru folded her arms and threw her leer to the floor with a mixture of fury, disgust, and relief. "Your next question, Haru-dono."

"How long have you known who my parents were?"

"From the very moment I met you, I could see you were no ordinary shinigami. It was only soon after you left the first time that I deduced your parentage." That only made her more furious, and sensing her anger, Genryuusai proceeded to justify himself further. "Seeing as you got along so well with Byakuya-dono, I thought it wise to let him learn on his own. Had I mentioned it, he would have discovered it before you wished him to. Besides, when you have lived as long as I have, it becomes very difficult, if not impossible, to be fooled. Right now, you cannot decide whether to be angry or overjoyed. The fact that you seem to lack hatred of me is a relief, but your mistrust is rather troubling." Haru glanced up at him, her violet eyes flickering in amazement for an instant, which gave them unbelievable clarity. "Grant me that this next comment will be taken as genuine, Haru-dono: had I truly thought you a violent threat to the order here, I would have removed you instead of leaving you with Byakuya-dono for so long."

"Then you do see me as a threat," she said with conviction, her eyes hardening.

"Of course you are a threat. You are a threat because you are different, and differences inevitably result in change. I have no doubt that your presence here will in some way cause significant alterations in the way the members of Gotei 13 perceive the world, but all of that will come about peaceably. I expect there will be a little stir when you tell people who you are. However, like your father, you prefer diplomacy over fighting, and fighting over killing. I trust that you will not lose your temper and put one of my squad members in the infirmary or the grave." Haru considered his words for a moment, turning heel as she thought and gazing at the brilliant light pouring through the window. She seemed more relaxed now to his wizened eyes as she leaned against its sill and fixed her eyes on the sun. "Is there anything else?"

"Four things," Haru said. "First, I have a small favor to ask you. Can you please just call me Haru-san? Having you acknowledge my nobility is a bit… uncomfortable for me."

"Then I will meet you half way and call you Haru-sama, as it is less formal and more intimate. Will that be sufficient?" Having no other choice, Haru begrudgingly succumbed to his compromise, still leaning on the window sill and watching the sun rise.

"Second, an ethical question… a somewhat personal one." She turned to him, her eyes glistening vibrantly as a slight blush rose to her cheeks. "Is it right for me to keep living with Byakuya-sama, even after I am assigned to a division?"

"If he wants you there, then that is his business. As for whether or not I consider it right, I have no problem with captains falling for their subordinates so long as it stays at home and does not follow them to the office."

"But he isn't…"

"Haru-sama, I told you before, I have lived a long time. It is very difficult to hide things from me."

"H… hai… Soutaichou-sama…" she said helplessly, bowing her head. Silence lingered in the moments following, during which Haru struggled to chain her embarrassment and regain her composure. Once she deemed she had done so, she continued where she had left off.

"What do you intend to do about my heritage?"

"I was thinking of letting the members of Gotei 13 make their own judgments. More importantly, what do _you _intend to do about it?" For some reason, his question made Haru smile, not because of its tone, which was serious as usual, but because it reminded her of the way she had turned the questions on her examiners just days before. After crossing her arms, Haru's face became serious, and when she raised a hand to it, she appeared pensive.

"I have no reason to hide it. I am what I am. If people do not accept it, I shall just have to start cracking skulls." Genryuusai felt a trace of unsettlement stir within him, but it waned almost immediately. She was, after all, just a fifteen-year-old girl, and the daughter of Tokazawa Misuzu, who was known to make frequent and similar threats in much more mature language. "Do not fear," Haru reassured him, as if sensing his trail of thoughts. "I will make sure I refrain from doing so with the exception of situations in which it is an absolute necessity."

"Very well. I will grant you that. Your final question, if you please." She raised a brow at him, silently asking why she was being rushed. "Forgive my impatience. I simply have much to do today once I am finished with you. It is why I called you so early."

"Then I apologize for my delay. My final question…" A nonchalant smile flickered across her expression, and those silvery eyes danced with boundless amusement. "Just how old are you really?"

"That information is strictly confidential and is only given on a need-to-know basis."

"You're no fun," Haru retorted. "Come on… I won't tell anyone."

"I am almost five times as old as Byakuya-dono."

"How troublesome… he has not informed me how old he is."

"Then ask him. Just be sure to duck when he tries to cut your head off," Genryuusai advised in a joking tone, which drew a rare, lighthearted laugh from Haru. "Now that you are finished, I have a few things I would like to ask you." She remained cheerful for a moment longer, relishing the feeling to its fullest extent. Then, she entered her usual placid state, though it was tinted with an undeniable seriousness. "Why did you sign away your rights to the Yamashita estate? Was it because you are a shinigami?"

"Soutaichou-sama, you misunderstand completely." She sounded so surprised that Genryuusai suddenly felt the need to justify himself.

"Just because I can judge people's sentiments on their presence alone does not mean I can accurately discern matters for such foolery."

"Do not call it foolery, Soutaichou-sama. I have a very good reason for relinquishing my rights to the family fortunes, reasons that go far beyond quincy and shinigami."

"Then what?"

"Though I am grateful to my grandfather for providing me with a meager stipend for the two years I lived on my own, I must say that in my experiences with the Yamashita family, their interest was wholly expressed on a financial basis."

"And you hold that against them?"

"Not just that," Haru said, a hint of resentment in her voice. "More than anyone in the world, that man I call grandfather resented the love my father had for my mother. He tried so hard to keep them apart, even if fate would not hear of it. He threatened to disown my father, to obliterate all evidence of a Tatsuhiro ever adorning the Yamashita family tree, if he so much as dared to see my mother again. For that reason, I will always have some resentment for my family. The fact that the blame for his death initially fell to my five-year-old shoulders does not redeem them in the least in my eyes. Furthermore, it would interfere with my affairs as a shinigami and impose upon me a cage that I will never accept of my own free will."

"Responsibility?"

"More like marriage. The responsibilities, I can handle. It would not be a problem for me to run the family from where I am so long as I visited the human world every two months or so to check up on things in person. However, to have love forced upon me, and to have the obligation to produce the next heir… that is the one thing I cannot accept."

"So you decided to find love here?"

"But I don't…" Her objection was cut off by his firm gaze, and she bowed her head helplessly beneath the weight of her blush. "Onegai, Soutaichou-sama, I am only fifteen years old… I do not think of such serious things as love at this age."

"I do believe your mind is able to produce thoughts that are far more fitting of someone twice your age, perhaps even three times, because of the tragedies you have weathered. However, I will reserve further compliments on your emotional resilience as a later topic of discussion. I have only one more thing to ask you."

"Nandesuka?" she inquired.

"Answer me honestly, Haru-sama… I will not tolerate untruthfulness." His seriousness was contagious. It infected her immediately, drawing her gaze away from the floor and draining the blush from her olive cheeks. "Have you reached bankai?" Her head swam as the question sunk in, her shoulders visibly flinched, and her eyes fell to the floor as every ounce of color drained out of them. She moved the sword between her hands, which quaked as they silently implored Suzaku for help. "Answer me," he commanded. At that, Haru ceased her slight quivering, the multiple shifts that had taken place in her reiatsu ceased, and there came into her eyes the same determined glint that had been present upon her arrival.

"I cannot lie to you," she responded, her voice lacking hesitance. "The sword I hold in my hands is not like other zanpakutoh by any means. It bears slight resemblance in its pre-released state to a quincy weapon called Seele Schneider. Beyond that, it takes the form of an ordinary-looking katana other than its slight curvature, the ribbon hanging from the tip of its handle, a slight difference in color, and the three gold bands that appear. All of my attacks are based on the simultaneous manipulation of my reiatsu and the spirit particles in the air, but the final attack form… saishuteki na keitai… it is the final attack form of Suzaku in her shikai state. Initially, I interpreted that as finality itself; shinseinahi became, in my mind, the pinnacle of Suzaku's power. I now have a reason to doubt that such a form is the limit, however."

"What makes you doubt it? Most shinigami are not capable of reaching bankai; why would one such as you, one who only carries half of a shinigami's blood, be capable of such a thing?"

"Clearly, you believe I am capable of more. Otherwise, you would not have said anything." Genryuusai silently conceded the point as Haru moved her hands and gripped her sword tighter. "Moushiwake arimasen… I cannot say anything more, for that is all I know with certainty."

"I do not need an apology, Haru-sama." Befuddled by his words, the cautious girl raised her head and peered at the withered man. "What is life but a lesson? As Shunsui said, what you do not know will come with time." As he spoke those words, Haru felt that, for the first time since she had met him, she saw a glimpse of what lingered behind that wizened face and its faint scars. Finding him genuine, she did her best to swallow her suspicions and relax, though she silently reminded her zanpakutoh to remain on guard should she find his genuineness to be a false one. "You seem prepared to learn your fate now, Haru-sama. Tell me, does the idea of something so absolute frighten you?"

"Fate is a thing that can be changed," she said calmly. "Furthermore, I feel it is a thing that encompasses all aspects of one's life, not just one's profession."

"Then tell me, do you consider your relationship with Byakuya-dono to be fated?"

"It is hard to say. I prefer to leave what fate plays a hand in to speculation."

"Then I will grant you your speculation. Please, sit down. This will take a moment to explain." Despite her usual rebellion and her remaining suspicions, Haru allowed herself to follow his request, seeing no reason to deny it. Once she settled herself, she smoothed her hakama and folded her hands in her lap. "Let me tell you, there was much deliberation on precisely what we should do with you."

"Is that so?" Haru asked, smiling calmly.

"Indeed," Genryuusai said flatly, "but in the midst of deciding your fate, which Jyuushiro, Shunsui and I had almost come to yesterday afternoon, we received an unexpected visitor who demanded the right to speak on your behalf."

"Unexpected… visitor?" She sounded bewildered at the very thought of anyone standing up for her at the risk of one's own reputation. Nonetheless, she retained the same puzzled expression and quietude as he continued.

"It is bad enough that the meeting was interrupted when we had at last agreed on something, but to have someone interrupt our peaceful deliberation so violently and loudly… I can honestly say I have never seen that troublesome man so impassioned."

"Impassioned?"

"He was positively fuming."

"Fuming?"

"Is there an echo in here?"

"M… moushiwake arimasen, Soutaichou-sama… I am merely trying to process…" Haru's words fell away, and her bewilderment turned to an expression of complete and utter analysis. Understanding washed over her, so definite that she appeared much older than she was for a moment. "Sou… souka…" she murmured, her brow twitching as a smile washed over her. "And this person… is not very often so impassioned?"

"Nor is he demanding. It is very seldom that he shows such interest in anyone, not even members of his own division, to whom such attentions would be more appropriately given. His vice-captain is exceptionally talented from what I understand, with a bankai and a strong drive to surpass his superior. I can expect great things from him despite his history."

"Well, he is relatively loud, and he can be obnoxious… and disobedient…" Noting the way Genryuusai's aura seemed to change to irritated, she cleared her throat and smiled. "Nonetheless, he possesses his redeeming qualities: loyalty, confidence, and the ability to turn even the most somber situation into something humorous. Anyway, my apologies for interrupting you yet again. Please continue."

"I am not entirely sure why his plea to speak compelled me so. Under normal circumstances, I would have chastised him for such impudence. However, something about the way he seemed to be outwardly thinking with his heart and putting every ounce of his efforts into being heard… it made me think twice about throwing him out. Such desperation… I have never seen him show such a dishonorable face that somehow possessed not weakness but strength, not shame but confidence, and not the usual arrogance but a deep and profound since of humility. It impressed upon me, somehow, and for a reason I am not in any way familiar with." One eye shot open to ensure Haru was still paying attention, and finding that she was listening with a deep and profound sense of awe, he shut it again as the same stern look swept over him. "The sway you have over him… is very dangerous, Haru-sama."

"But it was not my intention!" she protested, cutting through the air with her hand as if the wind would give her objection more sway.

"Calm yourself. It would be even more dangerous to imprison or banish you, and as I have already said, I was merely testing you." Those words in itself had a very calming effect, and Haru swallowed the remainder of her objection, bowing her head in apology. "I must say, the three of us had finally agreed on something…"

"What is it that you agreed on?"

"Patience, Haru-sama," Genryuusai chided, drawing a smile of shame to her face. "In all honestly, the three of us were most impressed by your performance. I have heard the speed and power with which you dispatched that arrancar was worthy of the utmost praise."

"Demo…"

"Additionally," he continued, ignoring her attempt at modesty, "I myself must commend you for your performance during the oral portion despite your unorthodox interruption. You were able to learn so much in a period of three days."

"But I already knew all the kidou before I came…"

"Yet still, you memorized and were able to calmly deliver a huge piece of relevant history and law in only a few days. Clearly, you are some sort of prodigy, considering your age, intelligence and power." Her face turned crimson at the label, and knowing full well that any objection would be useless, she worked to retain her silence. "I have heard the members of the Yamashita clan are extremely gifted people, yet even among them, you seem gifted in some manner."

"Please, sir… you mustn't say such things about me…"

"The next time I see you, Haru-sama, I ask that you leave your modesty at the door." The mild irritation in his voice was more than enough to make Haru swallow her remaining complaints and bow her head in silent apology. "At any rate, Byakuya-dono's interruption overturned our consensus, which was a great frustration to myself and your other two examiners. Under any other circumstance, I would not allow sudden intrusions, but when the vice captain of Soul Society storms in and demands the right to speak in the state that he did, I always think twice about turning him away."

This time, it was Genryuusai's movement that disrupted the silence. Supporting his weight on the heavy wooden staff in his hands, he crossed the room and moved towards the window. The sun only amplified the appearance of the scars and wrinkles on his face, yet at the same time, a youthful glow illuminated his expression as if his inner child, after an eon of dormancy, had suddenly sprang to life. "What I am about to tell you is for you to do with what you will. Whether you preserve this information or share it with the world is entirely up to you." A slight shift in the air drew one eye open, and its gaze fell squarely on Haru, who, after rising, remained rigid and facing him, holding the sword docilely between her hands as she waited patiently for him to continue. "Out of the one-hundred fifty possible points one could score on the captain's exam, you scored one-hundred forty eight."

For some reason, it didn't really surprise her. Haru retained her composure until he added, "You surpassed your host by a mere point. It is the highest score ever given." The fret that overwhelmed her expression caused her to stammer a wealth of fragmented, incomprehensible objections, all of which he gazed upon sternly.

"But I… it isn't possible… is it? I mean… I'm only… and I'm half… what…" By that time, she had caught the expression on his face and turned her own down. "I can't have… done something like that… to him…"

"As I have stated, what you do with that information is up to you."

"But _why_?" Having finally formed an objection, though a simplistically worded one, Haru raised her clouded eyes and fixed them on the captain commander. When combined with her expression and her tone, they evoked nothing more than pity in him.

"The circumstances surrounding your exam were highly peculiar, and our deliberation on how to score you was difficult. As I did not see you fight myself, I had to rely on the account of those who did. Death has silenced Shimori, Jyuushiro's condition prevented him from properly observing you, and Shunsui overly dramatizes almost everything. Nonetheless, I found it a captivating account, if it is accurate in the least, and I believe that just by looking at you, it is. Furthermore, your independence, your desire to preserve life even at the cost of your own, and your refusal to accept the fate I falsely threatened you with… the fact that you demonstrated free will, even in my presence, all of those things are remarkable. You are eloquent and thoughtful when you speak, and you seem to be the type of person that could usurp authority with nothing more than your words. Considering your background, I do not doubt that this is so."

"But isn't that a bad thing?" Haru inquired.

"Let me tell you something about power," Genryuusai said firmly, turning again towards the window. "Strength of body is only a small portion of power. It is strength of mind that truly gives one power, namely the ability to decide when and how much to use. You have more strength of that sort than what is typical of humans your age." By degrees, Haru was learning to accept his compliments, though a modest flush still covered her face. "Do you know what this means, Haru-sama? It means you are eligible to be a captain." He expected her to be frightened or nervous, but Haru merely remained silent and composed, ready to accept whatever decision had been handed down. "And the initial decision was to make you a captain, but fate has such strange ways of sending hands to sway even the most rigid decisions."

The silence that followed his words was most unsettling. Haru gripped her sword even tighter, and with nothing to shield her eyes from view, the placid determination in them flickered vibrantly through them, racing the wind that blew in from the window. "With Byakuya-dono's help, we came to a mutual decision that none of us really liked the sound of Yamashita-taichou, at least not yet… it is, however, growing on us." The bewilderment etched into her expression, coupled with an underlying belief that such a ridiculous reason could hardly begin to explain things, drew both of Genryuusai's eyes open, and they focused on her with an intensity Haru was quite unfamiliar with. "We have no doubt that you would make a fine captain, but Byakuya-dono mistakenly thinks that my order to retrieve and watch you is also an order to protect you. The position of captain comes with its perks, but it is also a very perilous job. Undoubtedly, this is an instance in which he considered your safety rather than your power… and perhaps his own personal benefit."

"Personal… benefit?" Haru inquired. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is he expressed an explicit desire for me to make you his third seat." Haru was only aware of two things in that moment: the fact that her jaw had just fallen open, and the overwhelming elation that flared up within her. "Apparently, he appreciates your hard work more than he is letting on."

"What hard work?"

"You are still helping him with the forms, are you not?" Haru nodded her head after a brief moment of deliberating on whether or not to ignore is request for a clear answer. "And it shows. The sixth division has been highly productive and even more so since Renji's return."

"That is only because I convinced him to work harder," she responded, laughing gently behind her hand as the excitement churning within her bubbled over, but the seriousness on the captain commander's face caused her to clear her throat and recall with graveness her current situation. She was a girl without a fate for the moment, but the moment inevitably passed.

"Hmm… roku bantai sanseki, Yamashita Haru… the sound of it is pleasing to the ear, to Byakuya-dono, and surely to you, if I am not mistaken." No longer able to restrain the eagerness in her eyes, Haru unleashed it until her silvery-violet gaze was overflowing with anticipation and hope. She wondered why, suddenly, she felt so dizzy. Then, she became aware that she had been holding her breath. "I feel that, since Byakuya-dono already knows how to deal with you, and since you are comfortable in that setting, that is where I shall send you." A flicker of uncertainty raced across her face, disrupting her placid restraint and causing Genryuusai to raise an incredulous brow. "Unless, of course, you would rather I make you a captain…"

"Iie… I cannot accept that kind of responsibility yet, whether the tests say I am ready for it or not," Haru responded, bowing her head to hide the undeniable gratitude and jubilation on her face. "Arigato-gonzaimasu, Soutaichou-sama… I will bear the title proudly and try hard to fulfill my responsibilities."

"See that you do," he replied, a hint of jovialness in his tone. "One more thing, before you go. It has come to my attention that you have a habit of shedding clothes in the middle of a fight. Furthermore, the way you carry your sword makes it difficult to fire kidou without discarding it."

"I've always carried Suzaku like this, and I hate fighting with sleeves on." A stern sigh emanated from his direction as he turned towards the window again. "Forgive me… my complaints are unwarranted…" Only his footsteps chided her as he crossed the room, disappeared behind his desk for a moment, and, after retrieving whatever rested beneath it, set it on the lacquered surface, gazing at her expectantly.

"I was asked to give this to you. It was brought through the senkai gate several days ago." Nodding gently, Haru dared to walk forward and take the oversized paper bag in her hands, bowing her head again to show her gratitude. "There is an empty room down the hall. You may change there if you so desire. Just be sure to lock the door."

"Hai," she responded.

"You are dismissed, roku bantai sanseki." Haru's smile grew at the words, and with one last bow, she crept towards the door, but just as she got to it, the screen flew aside to reveal the very same shinigami she had asked to retrieve the report. She waited for Genryuusai to give the order to speak, but from the way he stood, Haru could see she was expected to exercise her own authority.

"I grant you permission to speak. I presume you have returned with the figures I asked you to retrieve?"

"Hai," he responded obediently.

"And…"

"I have come to report that there is no property damage, and other than a bit of shock and several minor injuries, the worst of which being a bruise to the shoulder of one division member, there was no harm done." A smile of satisfaction crept across her face as she shot one glance back to the captain commander.

"Well done. May I know your name, please?" He looked a little started at her request, and as such, Haru proceeded to justify herself. "I like to know the names of those who do favors for me so that I may one day repay them should the chance arise."

"Demo… I was only following orders…"

"Nonsense," Haru said sternly. "I explicitly said it was not an order. Now, your name, if you please." Something in her tone, a gentle yet stern quality that completely lacked a definitive name, threw the shinigami into a brief bout of thought before he finally delivered the answer.

"Miyake Akihiko." Haru looked a little surprised at the sound of his family name. After shifting her hands slightly, she peered at him momentarily.

"Are you by any chance related to Miyake Arata?"

"He was a distant ancestor of mine."

"Well, then, I am truly honored by the presence of his descendent." She bowed slightly and continued on her way, followed by the captain commander's gaze and a beckon from the lesser member of the first division.

"Matte kudasai," he requested, his voice low and hesitant.

"Nandesuka?"

"Were I… to need a favor, where would I look, and who would I ask for?" Incredulously, Haru turned to him, and seeing that he was genuine, she beamed with a seldom seen radiance.

"Third seat of the sixth division, Yamashita Haru."

"Then I will, Yamashita-san."

"Please, I insist that you call me Haru. Now, I'll be going." The silence that followed was a clear indicator that she could now do as she pleased, so long as she was at the sixth division office by nine o'clock. She slid along the hallways like a shadow, choosing a random empty room and entering it. Upon locking the door, the first thing she did was dig her phone out of her haori and flip the screen open to survey the time. _Only four after seven… it seems like it should be later. There is still time. _But before she did anything more, she rummaged through the package she had been given, exhuming first a letter addressed to her. She recognized the writing immediately. "Ishi-nii?" Puzzled, she sat in a corner, and by the light of her own reiatsu, ran her silvery eyes over the words.

_Haru-sama,_

_I sincerely hope all is well with you. I wish I could say the same for things here. I received news of your immanent rejection by Soul Society from Urahara-san and resolved to free you myself if the need ever arose. Then, he mentioned something about Genryuusai-dono's incredible ability to pose a false threat. Following our conversation, he reassured me that you were as well as can be expected, though I would rather hear it from your mouth than from his._

_In the event that you are accepted into a division, I sent you this as a gift of congratulations. Somehow, I suspect you will no longer be given time to shed your haori in the middle of a battle, and I know you still have trouble using ransotengai without something to anchor it to. As much of a shock as this may come to you, your grandfather also included a gift, with his assurance that, despite your desire to give up your position at the Yamashita clan's head, you are still an honored member of the family. Though there is a lot of speculation about your taking up a position as a shinigami in Soul Society, I can honestly say that when I spoke with him, he seemed genuinely proud of you, as he should be. I am in no position to advise you; nonetheless, I offer this advice: stay cautious. Tatsuhiro-san may have been a decent man, but your grandfather is known for his deceit and trickery. Please exercise good judgment before blindly making a bargain with him._

_Hollow activity has increased here, and we're having a rough time of it. I close with a plea that you will be careful (though I know you won't be) and my sincerest well-wishes._

_Ishida_

Haru paused for a moment, smiling at his words, leaning back and staring at the ceiling, but something made her look down again. There, in a different color of ink but the same scrawl, was a postscript she had nearly overlooked:

_P.S. I want to see you. When are you coming for a visit?_

Shaking her head and laughing slightly, Haru lifted the sleeveless haori out of the bag, smiling with relief at the apparent lack of a quincy cross. After she submerged her hand in it again, she found a total of six fabric bands, black like her haori and rougly an inch wide, whose purposes were to serve as anchors in the event that she needed to use her more advanced quincy techniques. Concerned about the comfort, she gave the fabric a slight tug, relieved to find that, though they were equal in size, they expanded as needed and would close around her arm quite nicely, regardless of which band went just above her wrist or just below her shoulder. She then turned her attention to the final article within the bag, finding that her hand immediately fell to a piece of fabric whose softness rivaled that of Byakuya's scarf. A knowing flashed through her eyes as she lifted it, a sash made of pale blue silk with intricate embroidery done in dark blue thread. Spreading the garment out, her eyes wandered over the phoenix that decorated one end, flaming wings and tail, and the nineteen minute lotuses that adorned the other, one of which had not yet opened. In the lower corner was stitched the characters that composed her family name, small but noticeable on scrutiny.

"Ojii-sama must have spent a lot of time on this," she murmured, running her fingers over the stitches. Shutting her eyes, she let the fabric fall through her fingers and pool in her lap. At that angle, she could see another note pinned to it. Steadily, she reached for it, removing it gingerly to avoid damaging the fabric, and opened the small, doubled up piece of paper, but her eyes betrayed her, glinting even in the darkness: she was afraid. Even so, she had come that far, so without hesitation, she radiated enough reiatsu to read the characters so tidily scrawled on its surface.

_a flower cannot_

_blame time for its brevity_

_nor run from its fate_

Other than his signature, that haiku was the only thing adorning the page. Haru decided that the time had come and shed her haori, listening as it rustled to the ground, before making a move to retrieve the sleeveless one Ishida had made her. She silently debated on how to take the words, and finding she was unable to arrive at a definitive conclusion, she slipped the article inside the folds of her haori and resolved to revisit the issue when she could. _How troublesome, _Haru thought as she slid the first band up to the point just below her shoulder. _If I could use ransotengai without an anchor, I wouldn't have to wear these damn things._

_More like, if you could stand having your wings covered when you are trying to fly._

_Who asked for your input? _she demanded silently in a tone that contained mock anger. It was impossible to be angry at the moment, for the thrill of happiness still lingered strongly in her eyes and her veins. _Nothing can rid me of this feeling… I feel as if I could actually touch the sky right now. To think such kindness exists here, even for someone like me…_

_Honestly, Haru-sama, I do not know why people continue surprising you. They are not all bad. You certainly think highly of that Kuchiki fellow. _The sound of the name only made Haru's smile broaden, and once she had made her final adjustments to the bands encircling her arms, she lifted the sash and proceeded to knot it around her waist, positioning it so the ends swung against her right leg. _Why do you still keep secrets from him, even after all he has done for you?_

_I see no reason for your anger, Sukazu. I thought we agreed that we would refrain from speaking of _that _form. Besides, I'm saving it for an extreme circumstance._

_In other words, Aizen. _The name caused Haru to pause in the task of adjusting her garments. She glanced at the sword as if the name itself were sacrilege to use. _It is wasted on him. You should at the very least show the Kuchiki first. He is your captain and your most trusted ally. _

_Hmm… you may be right, _she replied, putting her hands on her hips after making a minor adjustment to the sash hanging around it and tucking her zanpakutoh into her obi. _Nonetheless, I shall keep it a secret for now. There is no sense in sharing unnecessary information. It would ruin my element of surprise._ There was only one final matter Haru wished to see to. Seeing that she still had a generous amount of time before her presence was required at the office, she scrolled through the numbers programmed into her phone and selected that of her nominal brother. In her thoughtful carelessness, she leaned her back against the wall, drawing a brief hiss of regret from her lungs. Otherwise, she was attentive to the perpetual ringing of the line. Haru expected to be directed to voice mail but was spared the pains of talking to a machine when suddenly, it stopped. She could hear voices in the background, one of them undoubtedly Ichigo's, another Rukia's, but Ishida himself remained silent. "Ishi-nii, it's me."

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Haru-sama?" he said quietly.

"You're angry because I have not kept in touch, are you not?" Silence again, along with the sound of the surrounding voices fading. "If it helps any, I listened to all the voice mails, and I read your letter this morning after a rude awakening and an interview with Soutaichou-sama. I've just been… I've been really busy lately. I know that is a pitiful excuse, but it's the truth. All this concern of what division I will wind up in, and the matter of being accepted…" Haru paused again, clearing her throat when she realized she was doing all the talking. "Ishi-nii, say something." Still, she heard his footsteps and his uneven breathing as he traversed whatever corridor of his school. "Your silence is disquieting… is class starting?"

"Damn it, I can't…" he managed, obstinately swallowing the rest of his words. Startled by the sentiments his tone was laden with, Haru bit back the desire to demand what was wrong.

"You don't have to tell me what the matter is. I know something is happening over there, even as we speak. I can only entrust it to you, and Ichigo, and Rukia-san, and all the others."

"There's nothing we can do about it, Haru-sama."

"About what?" A genuine note of confusion laced through her tone, one that the quincy took due note of.

"Urahara-san didn't mention it, then… it's just like him to avoid worrying you even at the cost of the truth." A hesitant sigh struck the receiver on Ishida's end, drawing a wave of panic through her body as she waited as patiently as she could for him to say something else. "Do you remember… the man that killed you?"

"Hanazaki Kousuke was his name, I think. Why do you ask?"

"He's dead." This time, it was Haru that fell silent. "What's more, his wife and three children are just as dead as he is."

"But why?" Haru demanded, fighting back tears as she recalled the man that had, by some turn of fate's hand, taken her life. "Why would they be killed? It was not his intention to kill me that day, no more than it was my intention to die! They were no more a danger to me than a low-ranking hollow!"

"It was Aizen's doing, Haru-sama. Your death, and his." She bit back every spiteful word that rose in her throat, anticipating her brother to say something else, but he simply lingered in silence on the other side of the line. "I am uncertain as to whether or not I am qualified to make guesses at what he may be strategizing, but I can tell you this much: your death was merely one step in his plan to deem your worth."

"To sacrifice so many innocent people in doing so… it is unforgivable…"

"For the sake of not sounding callous, I'll refrain from mentioning that you should be grateful he has found no reason to dispose of you yet, or at the very least remove you from Seireitei by force and make you an unwilling ally."

"Do you honestly think I would let him do that?"

"Whether you let him or not would do nothing to stop him, Haru-sama," replied the quincy in the most logical tone he could muster, though it was still laden with the pain of being the bearer of bad news. He listened to her breathing on the other side of the line as he slumped helplessly against a wall, bowing his head so the brilliant light overhead caught his glasses and hid his gaze from the world.

"Can you tell me something?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"The Hanazaki family… were they given a proper soul burial?" Try as she might, Haru could not discern an answer from the dead silence that followed her question.

"What… what are you talking about? Of course they were. I was there when Kurosaki and Kuchiki-san did it."

"Then at least I do not need to bear the guilt of their fates following death. Still…"

"Haru-sama, the fault is not yours. They were taken out by a bunch of hollow sent by Aizen, all of which were exterminated before they could do any further harm."

"And how, then, was my death Aizen's fault?" Haru demanded. "How could he have manipulated an ordinary human? Surely, my death was accidental and circumstantial. I just got very afraid because I suddenly heard that name, the light turned green, and I was mowed down by a car. There were no hollow in the area at the time; of that much, I am certain."

"Urahara-san and I are still uncertain as to how any of this is possible, but we are convinced that Aizen played some part in your death. That you were so quickly taken to Soul Society was something he surely did not anticipate." A difficult sigh escaped her lungs as Haru, too, took refuge against the wall, sliding against it and finally collapsing in a relaxed position. Leaning her head back, she stared at the ceiling with difficulty. The only difference between that room and her inner void was the aspect of boundary. "I know this troubles you, Haru-sama, but please don't blame yourself…"

"I can't," she responded. "I do not know how much blame I can shoulder, but that which I possess now is enough to crush me. It's not just there that lives are being taken or sacrificed. Here, too, people have died because of the name and the heritage I carry." Her eyes fell shut, leaving her to examine the thoughts behind them, or rather the lack thereof. All that lingered was a trace of pain small enough to be completely overlooked. Otherwise, she was smitten by the intense jubilation that had only crept aside to allow her frustrations to pass. Now that they had, it was back, stronger than ever, and burning with an intensity kindled by her excitement. "Is it wrong of me… to be happy in light of this news, Ishi-nii?"

"Of course not. You just got seated."

"Souka…" After another brief pause, during which Ishida seemed to analyze her tone, he released a sigh he had been holding in.

"Don't cry, Haru-sama."

"But I miss you," she managed, running a brisk arm over her eyes. "Without you there to think for me when I lose my hold on my emotions, I tend to do some pretty reckless things."

"That sounds like you," he replied, laughing lightly at her comment before losing his nerve. "Don't worry about coming for a visit. I know it is impossible, what with you being seated and Ryuuken watching me like a hawk. Who knows? I may wind up in Soul Society myself in a little while… Kuchiki-san said something about coming back for a little while. Perhaps if she does, I will accompany her."

"But you hate this place."

"A valid point, but that didn't stop me from coming the first time." It was Haru's turn to laugh, a brief and airy music that broke his grimace into a smile that she could feel, even if they were a dimension apart. "Just promise me you'll be careful."

"All right."

"Not just of the hollows, Haru-sama. I mean of your family, too."

"Are they…" She paused in her questioning, but the courage to speak did not stay away for too long. "Are they… doing well?" From the silence alone, it was easy to judge Ishida's complete lack of an answer. Nonetheless, she waited for an answer as long as her patience would allow it. "It seems they are… Ojii-sama sent me something."

"The sash… I know. It seems that, despite your heritage, they still look to you as the head of the Yamashita clan. That thing is a symbol of your status. If you wear it, you will be accepting your place as a noble."

"Then so be it," Haru replied. "Those sashes aren't worn by just the head of the family; they are a key item in the attire of all in the Yamashita clan who possess high status. It will be fine."

"As you say, Haru-sama." A chime on the other end of the line jolted her composure. "Kuso, I'm going to be late!"

"So am I." She rose and threw the door open, still talking as she ran down the hall. "Stay safe, Ishi-nii, and tell my family, if you see them, that I sincerely hope they stay safe as well."

"I will," he responded, "but only if you promise to."

"You know I am only reckless when I refuse to feel."

"Then feel, and savor every drop of emotion in your blood," Ishida stated, his steps echoing down the stairs. "Noble or not, feeling is very much a part of you. Should you forsake it, I fear to think what will happen. And now, I really have to go. Gomenasai."

"It's fine… hearing your voice is enough for me. I'll make it a point to do a better job of keeping in touch in the future. Now, do your best to enjoy your day, and don't let Ryuuken get you down."

"Understood, Haru-sama. Good luck."

"Arigato," she responded, putting a note of farewell in the words since she hated good-byes. Sure enough, the line went dead, and after closing the phone, she thrust it inside her haori, bolting into the blinding sun. Instinctively, she paused for a moment, shielding her eyes as they adjusted. It felt as if she hadn't seen that sun in ages despite her daily affirmation that she would one day surpass it. For a long moment, she peered at it with one competitive eye that quickly became overwhelmed with admiration. She reached out her arms and let the intense morning light swallow her up, relishing its feel against her arms, swaying when the wind blew, tilting her head back and whirling about to get a full view of the sky. Then, Haru came to the realization that not only was she wasting time, but a few shinigami who were stationed at the first division were staring. A flush of embarrassment worked over her face, but it soon gave way to an amiable smile and a slight wave as she turned on her heel, continuing forward at a rapid pace.

_I wonder what I should call him now, _she thought as she ran, flashing onto the roof of the gate and then to the ground a short distance away, spinning around to smile at the two startled guards before racing forward again. _It is only logical that I should call him Kuchiki-taichou… since he technically is my captain, but he is also still my host. _In a moment of indifference, she flashed onto a roof and sped along its top, racing the gentle wind at her back and the hands of the clock as they crept along. _My best course of action is to ask him directly, which I shall make it a point to do sometime in the near future._ Haru stared at the sky for a brief moment, relishing the strong feeling of oneness she had with it. Forgotten were her fears and doubts, her trepidations and her guilt. Life had given her another chance, and while it was not exactly a blank slate, she would make the most of it, of what remained from her life in the human world and what new things she had discovered in Soul Society. _It is here, _she thought, her eyes flashing towards the sun. _ It is here that I shall find my destiny._

Haru leapt down from the roof using shunpo, and while her mind meandered ceaselessly, her body began thinking on its own. Without a single thought of veering in her path, she suddenly stepped to the left, whirling around what she soon came to see as a captain enjoying a morning walk before a long day of arduous work. She took several more steps before slowing to a stop and turning to him, studying his jaded eyes before recalling that she owed him an apology. "Sumimasen, taichou-san… I almost did not see you there. I hope I did not startle you too much." She uttered the words with her hands folded and her head bowed in forgiveness, but her violet eyes were still in view, shimmering radiantly in the growing light of the morning. When he remained silent, Haru resolved to continue forward at the same pace.

"Matte." The command was effective in foiling her plans of escape, and she hesitantly raised her head to examine his jaded eyes. "Aren't you… that girl from a few days ago?"

"I am surprised you remember me," she confessed, "not to say that you are the forgetful type. I was moving pretty quickly, and our meeting was a brief one." She continued smiling even as he walked forward, sizing her up silently with his gaze before stopping right in front of her. "Ano… is something the matter?"

"Weren't you… wearing glasses the last time I saw you?" The comment drew Haru's hand to her face, and finding that they weren't there, she threw her gaze in the direction from which she had come, worried that she may have dropped them. Then, recalling their likely location, she just as quickly became placid.

"I must have left them at home this morning," she stated, smiling as if it didn't faze her in the least.

"You're always in a hurry when I see you. Do you have some sort of agenda?"

"Iie… I can assure you, taichou-san, there is no reason to be suspicious of me. I was just running late for my exam last week, and now I'm running late for work…"

"I administered the exam last week. You weren't there," he answered flatly. "Who are you?"

"Roku bantai sanseki, Yamashita Haru," she provided, bowing her head slightly. "Hajimimashite." The name drew no reaction from him in the least. He simply shut his eyes and considered it for a moment. "Ano… I do not mean to interrupt your musings or anything, but…"

"Come on," he stated. "I have some things I want to ask you. You will arrive at your destination faster if we walk and converse at the same time."

"Hai," she responded, bowing her head as he passed and walking behind his left shoulder.

"I heard of a girl coming here about a month ago, some kind of special case… apparently, the orders were given and fulfilled within roughly a three-hour-period. She was retrieved and brought here."

"I know," Haru responded. "I was there when she was retrieved."

"I can only assume that you are the aforementioned girl, then."

"Despite your appearance, you figured that out faster than some captains I have met would. Are you some kind of child prodigy?"

"That's what they tell me."

"Then we have something in common." One green eye flashed over his shoulder, giving the girl a questioning look. "The Yamashita clan is renowned for their strength of mind, their quick wit, and their skill in deliberating, yet even among such a prodigious family, they say my intellect is dangerously powerful."

"You speak of them as if they are high-ranking, yet I have never heard of them."

"From where I originally came from, they are." Again, that same curious look drifted into his eyes and flashed at her over his shoulder. "Nonetheless, they are very good at staying out of the public eye, which would explain why you have never heard of them."

"Please don't tell me that because you're a noble, you think you're better than everyone else," he stated, a trace of irritation sweeping through his tone.

"Of course not. One of those is enough, is it not?" He looked a little surprised that she would speak that way about her host. "I prefer to think that my nobility places me with the people rather than above them. Even if that is not the way my family thinks, it is something I have always believed in." The silent analysis of her words that followed drew from her violet eyes a glint of doubtful curiosity. _Have I… said too much to him? _But that was not at all the case. The youngest captain was merely taken aback by how serious Haru was taken him when the usual reaction was a comment on his height, or rather a lack thereof. She hadn't mentioned it yet, and the only time she seemed to notice it was when he stood up after their collision.

"That certainly is… a unique perspective." At the sound of those words, Haru's concern melted away, first to surprise, and then to an ecstatic smile that caused his steps to falter as he swiveled to study her further.

"Arigato-gonzaimasu, taichou-san… your words give me hope for the future."

"Hitsugaya," he muttered, crossing his arms.

"Come again?"

"My name's not 'taichou-san.' It's Hitsugaya Toushiro." Haru silently processed the name, resting a hand against the side of her face as she thought it over, tilting her head as their steps echoed through the empty air.

"Hitsugaya-taichou, then," she said decisively. "That is what I shall call you, if that is all right."

"Call me whatever you want," he retorted, folding his arms with a huff. Haru paused for a moment and considered it again.

"There is really nothing else I can call you at this point in time. Once I become a captain, though… I guess I'll call you Toushiro-san."

"That's aiming rather high," Hitsugaya noted. When he glanced Haru's way again, she had her eyes locked on the sky, almost as if she was lost in it. "What's got you so distracted?" Wordlessly, she pointed a finger at the sun, her eyes flashing with an enigmatic and highly concentrated determination. "You can't be serious…"

"I seldom joke, Hitsugaya-taichou. I'm aiming for the sun, and I will not stop until I have outshone it." Her optimism was slightly irritating, and the way she spoke with such confidence grated on his nerves. Still, there was something calming about that girl's presence that seemed to be more present in her than in most nobility he had encountered. The disembodied words that shattered the silence only intrigued him more. "On broken wings, I try to rise above the sun that makes me nothing." Glancing back, Hitsugaya found the girl's eyes locked on the sky, her hands folded, her shoulders straight, the sash around her waist swaying docilely in rhythm with her steps, and, more startling than anything, her face alight with a potent satisfaction.

"Was that a haiku?"

"It was," Haru replied, turning her eyes towards him. They seemed to possess a fragment of the sun's light, though at the angle she positioned her head at, they should not have glimmered so brilliantly. Suddenly, he caught the reason for it, two figures standing in the road, one nonchalantly, the other with dignified poise. Forgetting her composure for a moment, Haru bolted past the other captain, stopping before the two shinigami as they studied her.

"About damn time, kodomo," commented the redhead. "Where the hell've you been this morning, hmm? And what's with that get-up?"

"It is no worse than what you wear," Haru retorted, pointing a finger at her forehead. Renji's hand rose to gather the extent of her gesture, feeling on the fabric of his bandana.

"What? I wear this everyday. You've never complained about it before."

"Renji," Byakuya said in a stern tone, giving him a glare that demanded silence and cooperation. Once he was certain of his vice captain's cooperation, he stepped forward as he rummaged through his haori, studied the whole time by Haru's curious and vibrant eyes. When he extended his hand, her glasses rested within them. She peered first at the object she had left behind, then to the nobleman that held them.

"Are you… actually giving these back to me?" He made no response but simply moved his hand in silent request that she take them. Haru reached out tentatively to seize her prize, still watching Byakuya with every iota of space her hand crossed. Then, just when her index finger was mere millimeters away, his hand moved away from her own, causing the startled and determined Haru to lurch forward in an attempt to seize them. She was easily restrained by Byakuya's other hand and by the look he was giving her. "Byakuya-sama… please…" A smirk of satisfaction flickered across his expression, so fast that only Haru caught it. She watched as her eyewear disappeared into his haori again, drawing a groan of surrender, still laden with protest, from her.

"Fight me," he said, loud enough for both Renji and Hitsugaya to hear.

"Now?" The look in his eyes was half-pleading, half-demanding, but one-hundred percent of the blaze in them was competitive. Having never seen his eyes quite like that, Haru wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. Recalling her reason, she cleared her throat and allowed another moment of thought to drift by before speaking. "Is it really wise to be late for work on my first day? I am rather certain my captain would not appreciate such things."

"Oh?" Disheartened at her rebellion, Byakuya simply turned away, his scarf waving at the air behind him. "Suit yourself. You will not get them back until you can defeat me properly, Haru-kun."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she demanded, but her host remained silent and withdrawn, as if his mind was elsewhere. "Gods, you can be so damn troublesome…" Folding her arms, Haru shook her head. It was impossible to hide the smile she wore; even if she wanted to, she was certain she could not restrain it. There was impulse in that smile, and a dangerous plot that took both the jade-eyed captain and the redheaded vice captain aback. Her hands wandered to her head, and, with them tangled in a task behind it, she began to follow him. "Fine, we'll do things your way today… Kuchiki-taichou." One eye shot over his shoulder, smoldering as he processed the words and caught the hidden meaning behind them, but all ability to think was lost amongst a flurry of nutmeg hair that flew in every direction as her hands finished their task. She gave her head a slight toss, relishing the liberated feeling of her loose hair darting about her, capturing the rays of the sun. The smile that lit her face, when combined with the radiance of her freed locks, may very well have outshone it.

_My gods…_ Those were the only words that entangled themselves from the thoughts in Hitsugaya's mind. His eyes were bewildered and open farther than they normally were. In part, Haru smiled because of his reaction, but she was even more intrigued by that of her host. Byakuya didn't even notice that his mouth was hanging slightly open, not even when her violet eyes shot in his direction. A smile flashed across her face as she paced forward, her hands folded in their usual demure manner, on airy steps that sounded heavy due to the ensuing silence.

"Taichou, as much as I appreciate your attention, I think it would be better spent on… that stack of paperwork waiting for you at the office." Either the words themselves or the gentle laughter that followed brought him back to attention, and the stoic mask reappeared as quickly as it had melted.

"I… what an absurd notion. As if I would…" He stammered a rebellion when the audacious girl seized his left arm in her own and began dragging him forward.

"Come on… I already have one slacker I need to keep in line. To have another would be overburdening me."

"Haru-kun… release me at once."

"Not until you defeat me properly," she quipped, pausing in her forward steps as she recalled Hitsugaya's presence. "Gomenasai, Hitsugaya-taichou… I'm afraid we have a little bit of work to do, so this is as far as you can accompany me."

"Right," he stated flatly, though it was clear by his expression that he didn't quite know what to make of the scene he beheld. The only clear things were the elation on Haru's face and the faint traces of a blush working its way into the Kuchiki heir's face, not due to anger or irritation but as an effect of the way she was holding his arm.

"Come on, Abarai-fukutaichou… the day is wasting away. I do want to go home at a reasonable hour tonight."

"You can't be serious… I thought you were joking! You're really in the sixth division now?"

"If it took you that long to figure out, it is not worth explaining." She started forward again, pulling a slightly more willing Byakuya with her. It took Renji a moment to decide his course of action, not wanting to disrupt the two of them, but he finally settled for shooting after them once he had properly given Hitsugaya his farewell. Somehow, he felt as if he was intruding; they weren't saying anything, and Byakuya had a rather serious look on his face. Haru, being overjoyed with her seating, let one idol trace of gravity linger in her expression.

"You're one lucky kid," Renji stated when he tired of the silence.

"I do not understand what you mean."

"Well, you get to stick around for a while longer. It's pretty lucky you got placed in division six."

"If luck's true name is Kuchiki Byakuya, then yes, I suppose I am lucky." Renji noticed his captain's shoulders stiffen at the words, but he made no comment on them. "You went to quite a great length to get me this position, if what Soutaichou-sama told me was true. Still…" Her voice trailed off briefly as she cast an eye back at her vice captain. "I do not know whether to be grateful or perturbed." She noticed the slight movement of Byakuya's brow at her final word. In the silence that followed, Haru's smile dissolved, giving way to a look of deep and profound thought. The noble silently watched her analysis, wishing he could read the spark that lingered in her gaze. When the pressure on his arm became slightly stronger, he felt he had a decent understanding of her thoughts and thus refrained from verbally probing her.

"So, how does it feel to start at the bottom, kodomo? Bet you've got a lot of hard work to do, working your way up. It'll be pretty grueling… it was for me, anyway."

"But Abarai-fukutaichou, if I work my way up any higher, I will be taking your job." Perhaps it was the manner in which she said it that caused Renji to stop following them and draw into his expression a sour smirk of disbelief.

"You can't mean you're…"

"Roku bantai sanseki," Byakuya put in. "As I requested, she was made my third seat, since I need to balance that aura of displeasure for paperwork with someone who is content doing it."

"You… what?"

"That's right," Haru stated, relinquishing her grip on Byakuya so she could turn fully towards Renji. "I may be one seat lower than you, Abarai-fukutaichou, but I'll have you know, if you even so much as think about slacking off, I'll be there to crack your skull open every step of the way."

"Yes, mother," he responded jokingly, laughing at the sour look on Haru's face. "Jeez, you are kind of cute when you're mad… make sure your face doesn't get stuck like that, though… otherwise, Kuchiki-taichou's going to be doing a whole hell of a lot more staring than he was a little while ago."

"I was not staring," he responded tartly. "I was simply… scrutinizing."

"Come on, taichou… we know what you were thinking about, right, Haru?" She wasn't certain what the shady comment meant, but something about his tone and the grin on his face told her that it was tastelessness at its highest degree. As repercussion, she took a swing in his direction, which he evaded by some turn of fortune's hand. "Hey, now… you've gotta respect me now that you're officially my subordinate… otherwise, I'll lecture you about your hostility."

"I do believe that defending one's pride has nothing to do with respect," Byakuya responded in monotone. "Therefore, I grant you permission to crack his skull open any time you feel he is affronting it."

"Hai, taichou." The eagerness in her voice made Renji groan as he thought of the splitting headache he fought off with sake the last time she smashed that sword against his skull.

"Just make sure it does not inconvenience me in anyway."

"Of course. It would be insensible for me to do so rashly, and in the middle of a workday when he has so much energy to expend on paperwork." The mere thought of it made him groan a protest. "Come, now, it isn't that bad…"

"I'd rather bite off my own tongue than spend a day in that damned office."

"Perhaps then, we would finally have some peace and quiet," Byakuya retorted, further enraging the redheaded vice captain and drawing from Haru a slightly amused laugh. He had trailed off in momentary thought and had thus momentarily forgotten her presence, but now that he was aware of it again, he instinctively reached back and seized her hand with a readiness that caused the girl to stagger slightly. Having regained her footing, she walked composedly, her steps falling in time with those of her fellow squad members. "Please tell me you do not intend to make a habit of addressing me as Kuchiki-taichou." Glancing up, Haru shifted her eyes to Renji for help, but he merely shrugged and glanced away, deeming it a matter that did not involve him in the least.

"Would you rather… I not?"

"If you insist on doing so, then at the very least, have the courtesy to leave it at the office."

"What about Abarai-fukutaichou?"

"Just call him Renji; everyone else does. He refuses the slightest separation of status when it comes to addressing him."

"Yeah, and now you've got no excuse to use that '-san' shit on me, Haru."

"She is a noble, Renji," Byakuya protested. "I expect you to address her with respect."

"Iie… it's fine." He peered back at her momentarily to see that her smile had returned. "It is enough for me that he calls me by my first name. Besides, I am not technically a noble on my mother's side, so no one here has any need to acknowledge it." Silence again, and nothing but their steps surrounded them as they steadily paced towards their destination. _It's nice, _Haru thought. _So nice… to feel like I am finally a part of something, but I have been feeling this way all along, haven't I?_

"You should thank him."

"Nani?" Haru inquired, startled at having her thoughts intruded upon by the nobleman.

"Renji… was the one that got you out of the office in the first place. As you have already told me, he thought of it as a favor to me, though he was not wholly aware of how great a favor it really was."

"Nah, I knew you had something cooking. I just wasn't sure what." He locked his hands behind his head and grinned nonchalantly, knowing that was the only thanks he would receive from the Kuchiki heir. Still, there was Haru, the gratitude flickering subtly in her eyes as she was pulled along by Byakuya.

"Arigato… Renji," she murmured.

"Sorry, couldn't hear you."

"I said arigato," Haru repeated, this time a little louder.

"Sorry… still can't hear you." From the way he was grinning, Haru could tell he had indeed heard her and thus stewed in silent frustration, but only for a moment. With the sun shining down on her and the warmth that graced even the presence of the cool atmosphere, she couldn't keep from smiling for long. It was her solace in death, an expression of the joy she took in living, an act of self-forgiveness, and, above all else, a silent promise that one day, perhaps even one day soon, she would rise higher than the sun.

* * *

For some reason, I just couldn't make it a sad ending, nor could I think of a way to. Anyway, I don't have much left to say beings I need to practice a speech that's due in two days, so I shall deliver unto you, my loyal readers, the final Japanese lesson:

Chikusho : Some kind of Japanese swear word. What a wonderful way to start out the final lesson! XD I think it means "damn," but I can't be a hundred percent sure.

Gomen : Sorry

Onegai : Please

Hai : Yes

Nandesuka : What is it

Moushiwake arimasen : A highly formalized apology… thanks White Alchemist Taya! (I think it was her that said something about it… curse you, memory loss! XD)

Souka : I see

Demo : But

Roku Bantai Sanseki : Third seat of the sixth division… don't ask me if I got the spacing right. I looked EVERYWHERE for it. .

Iie : No

Arigato-gonzaimasu : Formal thanks

Matte Kudasai : Please wait

Kuso : Another Japanese swear word. Yay! I'm thinking this one is shit.

Gomenasai : A moderately formal apology.

Sumimasen : Excuse me

Matte : Wait

Ano : Japanese equivalent of um.

Hajimimashite : Pleased to meet you.

Kodomo : Kid

Arigato : Just plain old thanks.

Wow… the longest Japanese lesson for one of the longest chapters… you all deserve a reward for getting this far, so I'll let you in on a little secret… sometime during my delusional period of illness two weeks ago, a file with the beginning of the sequel appeared on my hard drive. I'm certain I have no unearthly idea how it got there. Nevertheless, I count on it going somewhere, and I hope it will be as good as the original. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers again, and to Cara-Mae-Chan, whom I apparently inspired, and who sent me "the angry review" demanding a sequel. I should probably get some serious writing done before I start positing it, so I promise it will be up eventually. And now, it's time to do the most painful thing ever: flipping this fanfic over from "In progress" to "Complete." Until next post, best of luck, my fans, and I hope to see you all soon!


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